Thompson & Litton (T&L) has announced the acquisition of Beeson Lusk & Street (BLS). The combination of T&L and BLS brings together two well-respected architecture and civil engineering firms, who have both been serving clients throughout Virginia and Tennessee for over 60 years.

On January 1, 2019, BLS joined Thompson & Litton’s employee-owned operation, and is doing business as BLS Thompson & Litton. The office will remain in Johnson City, TN.

“We are excited about the opportunities that the combined forces of our two firms will hold for the future,” says T&L President Greg Hurst. “Our industry is rapidly changing and growing. This acquisition allows us to meet those changes head on and allows us to expand our services.”

Founded in 1956, T&L serves its five-state Mid-Atlantic client base from offices in

Tazewell, Wise, Radford, and Chilhowie, Virginia; Bristol and Mosheim, Tennessee; and Princeton, West Virginia. Since its earliest days, T&L has emphasized serving its clients by producing quality work by committed people. This principle is stronger than ever.

BLS’s staff joins T&L’s existing professional and full-service staff of architects, engineers, surveyors, land-use planners, construction administrators, grant/financing specialists, and other support personnel.

BLS was founded in 1912 in Johnson City, TN, and has been in continuous operation for 106 years. BLS Thompson & Litton continues to be a full-service architecture and civil engineering firm, strategically positioned to serve its clients.

Tony Street, President of BLS, has been named Senior Project Manager for the newly consolidated company.

He states, “Thompson & Litton shares the same core values as BLS.  Combining our organizations gives us more depth to help our clients move their projects forward, and continues the tradition we have for excellent service. We are excited to be on the BLS Thompson & Litton team.”

T&L recently worked with the Dickenson County Public Service Authority on the Georges Fork Sewer project, which is five miles of gravity sewer located from Town of Clintwood to the top of Red Onion Industrial Park along State Route 83. Our work included Preliminary Design, Final Design, Bidding & Advertising, Construction Contract Administration, Resident Project Representative, Surveying & Permits Project Management and Record Drawings. The project was completed in 2018.

The new Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center in Duffield recently opened . The new interpretive center overlooks Kane Gap – a visible representation that shows the path settlers once took on their journey west. The 10,000 sq. foot facility includes a large conference room, library and museum.

The Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center highlights the story of the Wilderness Road from Sycamore Shoals to Cumberland Gap with the ultimate goal is to educate visitors on the importance of the Wilderness Road and the key role it played in westward expansion. The center also boasts an amphitheater intended for events and programs.

The Virginia State Park System, managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, operates the center as a satellite of Natural Tunnel State Park.

The center serves as a regional tourism gateway, connecting visitors to other historical and cultural stops, such as Natural Tunnel State Park, Wilderness Road State Park and Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, and is also expected to impact other area attractions.

The project, a partnership between the Scott County Economic Development Authority, the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Association and DCR, is the result of a broad spectrum of state and local support.

Construction funding grants came from the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Scott County Economic Development Authority, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

Grants totaling $1 million from the Virginia Department of Transportation Scenic Byways Program, Eastman Credit Union and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission funded the exhibits.

The new wilderness trail center is open Friday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are no admission fees for the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail Interpretive Center. For questions or additional information, call the interpretive center at 276-431-0104.

Thompson & Litton was proud to provide A/E services to a project that will inject tourism dollars into the region, and pays homage to Appalachia’s rich cultural heritage.

Thompson & Litton’s Radford office has been helping with the restoration of Radford’s landmark, American Legion Post #30. The small, white, peaked-roofed stone building is nearly 100 years old and its age is showing.

T&L has been preparing as-builts, preliminary measurements and drawings, for the project. T&L intern, Tyler McDaniel, measured rooms as part of the important, early steps of renovating the landmark American Legion Post 30 building on Main Street.

Legionnaires have been working to raise funds for the service organization’s restoration of the building and awareness of the building as an historic gem.

Both the building structure and infrastructure need upgrading.

The American Legion is the nation’s largest wartime veterans’ service organization, and Legionnaires have been working to raise funds for the restoration of the building.

Built in 1928, the facade of the building is Concrete Masonry Units, or “cinder blocks”, with decorative corner quoins made to look like stone.

The ceilings on the main level are nearly 14ft, the many windows are over 8ft in height, the floors are hardwood, and the building has two large fireplaces. The fact that the building still stands is a testament to the excellent craftsmanship of the facility.

T&L was happy to prepare the as-builts pro-bono in an effort to support the restoration project and help bring the building back to its former glory.

Longwood University campus and community gathered in November to get the first up-close look at Longwood’s new monument to Joan of Arc, the university’s patron hero who has inspired generations of students at the dedication ceremony and unveiling of the statue.

T&L provided A/E Services for the new Joan of Arc Statue at Longwood University. Joan of Arc is the patron heroine for the University. The monument, Longwood’s third of the 15th-century French heroine, was installed after more than three years of work by a renowned Scottish artist. The monument was unveiled in November of 2018.

At more than 15 feet tall, the heroic figure of Joan of Arc strikes an assertive pose and captures the historic woman at the height of her military prowess, raising the Siege of Orleans in 1429. Wearing a heavy suit of armor and wielding a legendary sword, this vision of Joan of Arc stands at the southern end of Brock Commons, between Hull and Bedford halls.

Longwood President W. Taylor Reveley IV said, “This majestic statue that we dedicate today will inspire us across all our years: Joan of Arc, poised forever young, in a moment of defiant triumph.”

T&L was excited to be a part of this project.