Three Notch'd Road: The Colonial Trail Behind Our Name

Ever wonder where the name Three Notch'd comes from? It's a piece of Virginia history you can still drive on today.

What was Three Notch'd Road?

Three Notch'd Road, also called Three Chopt Road, was a colonial-era east-west route across central Virginia. It's believed to have taken its name from a distinctive marking: three notches cut into trees to blaze the trail, so travelers could follow it through the woods.

From Richmond to the Shenandoah Valley

By the 1730s, the trail ran from present-day Richmond to the Shenandoah Valley, crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains at Jarmans Gap. It passed right through what is now Charlottesville, linking the young colony's capital region with the frontier to the west.

Where is Three Notch'd Road today?

Much of today's Route 250 follows the same historic path, and so does the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville. Our Charlottesville headquarters sits just a quarter mile from the original road, and our Richmond location is at the other end of the old route.

The ride that made the road famous

Three Notch'd Road played a part in one of the Revolutionary War's great stories. In 1781, Jack Jouett used the moon and the notches on its trees to guide his 40-mile ride through the night to warn Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature. That ride inspired our original flagship beer. Read the full story: Jack Jouett and His 40 Mile Ride.

Why we named our brewery after it

The founding of Three Notch'd and its original beers started with a deep look at some of the most influential people and places in Virginia history. A road that connected communities across the Commonwealth felt like the right name for a brewery that wanted to do the same. Today we've blazed our own trail to nine locations in Virginia, South Carolina and Delaware.

Want more? Visit The History page, or find a Three Notch'd near you.

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