A century ago, Eggleston was the hub of Giles County and drew visitors from all over the United States. They arrived by train (which still runs through the village) to enjoy its beauty and hot springs. Gunpowder Springs was the original name for Eggleston due to the sulpher smell from the hot springs. Occupying what was formerly Pyne’s General Store, the Palisades Restaurant recaptures the former charm and spirit of Eggleston.

In addition to displaying memorabilia from the village’s lively past, The Palisades Restaurant retains the unique features of its Historic Landmark building, including exposed brick walls, pressed tin ceilings and hardwood floors. Pyne’s Store was a vibrant business in the late 1920s during one of Eggleston’s many heydays and, as part of the New River’s rich history, was featured prominently in the June 1999 issue of National Geographic Magazine.

The store was a fixture in Eggleston for 75 years and an essential part of the community. It not only supplied locals with food to feed their families and tools to build their homes, but became a social outlet as well, a gathering place for residents to greet their neighbors, share news and advice, or just plain gossip. The General Store first opened its doors in 1926 and operated as CC Whittaker & Company and that sold everything from dishes, produce, fish, piece goods, shoes, clothes, and feed – basically, anything residents of Eggleston and Giles County needed.

The Johnston family purchased the store in the 30’s and sold it to the Pyne family who had just lost their store below the railroad to a fire. The Pyne family traded their dairy farm in Northern Virginia for the first store they owned in Eggleston.

The attached buildings housed a Chevrolet dealership showroom and repair shop run by Mr. Daley Stafford. In the 1930s, Dr. Tuck, a local doctor, located his office in the basement of the building. The United States Post Office in Eggleston was also run out of the store until the 1980s. The Pyne family acquired the store in the late 1930s and owned and operated it until the store closed in October 2000 – 75 years after its doors were first opened for business.