Green Cove Station was built by the Norfolk and Western Railroad in 1914, and positioned on a stretch of track between Abingdon, Virginia and West Jefferson, North Carolina. The train and the line, became known as the Virginia Creeper because of its slow speed going up and over the mountains. Green Cove was a social center where folks gathered to get their mail, meet the train, and catch up on what was happening with their neighbors. Green Cove is the only original passenger station remaining on what was the Abingdon Branch. Green Cove Station and its contents were given to the USDA Forest Service so that it might be restored and preserved. Today it serves as a gathering and resting spot for thousands of visitors to the Virginia Creeper Trail.