Rockfish Gap fireplace?

[seattleboatguy]

What's the story behind the huge fireplace between Rockfish Gap and the Paul Wolfe shelter? Was some day hiker suddenly seized with a "burning" desire to sit by a fireplace?
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[ernie84]

According to my trail guide, the chimney and hearth are remnants of the Mayo cabin, dating from the early 1900's. The Mayo's were homesteaders in that area.

[Slo-go'en]

There are several of these along the trail, remanets of old cabins or lodges. There's a fireplace of a hermits cabin on top of a hill in NC with the epitaph "He lived alone, suffered alone and died alone".

[RockDoc]

and was buried alone... I think I remember seeing his grave stone.

[Slow Trek]

I certainly hope to be buried alone....

[jimmyjam]

There is also an old cemetery on the east side of the trail just south of the gap.

[Furlough]

There are several of these along the trail, remanets of old cabins or lodges. There's a fireplace of a hermits cabin on top of a hill in NC with the epitaph "He lived alone, suffered alone and died alone".
As I recall it is a fireplace shaped memorial to "Uncle" Nick Grindstaff. His body is interred on the other side of the memorial.

[Francis Sawyer]

According to my trail guide, the chimney and hearth are remnants of the Mayo cabin, dating from the early 1900's. The Mayo's were homesteaders in that area.
Heirs to the fabulous mayonnaise empire.