2026-05-16T14:53:22-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer http://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories http://shenandoahstories.org 2018-04-11T17:08:19-04:00 2018-12-18T12:11:34-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/307 The Shenandoah Stories Team During both WWI and WWII, country residents sought ways to memorialize their family members, friends, and neighbors who were serving in the armed forces. One of the most popular ways they found was by erecting an honor board. These wooden signs listed the names of locals in the military. Special notation was usually provided to observe individuals killed in action. Boards such as these were erected in each Shenandoah County town. This board was designed to honor those residents of the Ashby Magisterial District, which surrounds and includes Mt. Jackson, who served in the conflict. After the war most of the boards were removed, often when more permanent memorials were erected. However, the Ashby District Board remains in Mt. Jackson and lists the names of those who served in that town and surrounding communities. For more, view the original article. 2018-02-28T12:47:21-05:00 2025-01-21T14:35:34-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/302 The Shenandoah Stories Team Sometime after the Civil War Mt. Jackson's African American population banded together to form a Methodist Church. During the period local churches were segregated by race and the town’s African Americans needed a church to meet their spiritual needs. By 1870 this congregation had constructed a church building on Race Street. They performed baptisms in nearby Mill Creek and supported the local African American School (located on Orkney Drive). Around 1885 the congregation seems to have relocated to a new site beside the African American School. However, in 1889 the church seems to have faced financial trouble and was involved in a chancery case over an unpaid mortgage. While it is uncertain how the case was resolved, the church remained open. The name of this church seems to have evolved. In a 1930 Sanborn map, the church is identified as “Mt. Zion M.E. Church (Colored).” Later articles refer to it as Calvary Methodist Church. After the Second World War the congregation dwindled as the African American population of Mt. Jackson declined. In 1965 the congregation made the decision to merge with Manor Memorial Methodist Church in New Market and to close their church after failed attempts to merge with the Mt. Jackson Methodist Church. The building would be demolished sometime in the 1970s or 1980s. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2018-02-20T11:03:27-05:00 2025-02-17T13:44:40-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/300 The Shenandoah Stories Team First Baptist Church was founded in Mt. Jackson in 1912. Few records exist describing the church or its activities. The church celebrated its 26th anniversary on September 18, 1938 with a dinner and special service according to a September 16, 1938 Northern Virginia Daily article. One major part of the church was the Scott family, particularly Preston Scott Sr., a prominent African American resident of Woodstock, was its last trustee. We do know the church closed sometime between 1952 when the church a "Men and Women's Day" and 1954 when the neighboring Methodist Church was listed as the only "colored church" in Mt. Jackson. The building was sold in 1965 and still stands on Orkney Drive. For more (including 4 images), view the original article. 2017-11-16T11:09:39-05:00 2018-10-19T11:46:22-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/294 The Shenandoah Stories Team In the spring of 1997 a group of citizens in Mt. Jackson gathered together in an effort to preserve the former Burkett Store building on Main Street and other portion's of the community's history. On September 27th of that year they opened the Mt. Jackson Museum in that structure after leasing it from the Shentel Corporation. Today the Mt. Jackson Museum remains dedicated to the historic preservation of Mount Jackson and surrounding areas. It maintains presence in the town visitor's center which is open year round and in the Burkett building which is open on special occasions. The museum's collections include large holdings of documents, military items, books, furniture, photographs, and Civil War materials. They also retain Billy Landis artwork and Bird Haven items. The museum is open Thursday and Friday 1-4PM and Saturdays 10-4PM. Contact them at (540)477-3951 for more information. For more, view the original article. 2017-09-28T13:32:12-04:00 2019-07-09T13:22:00-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/212 The Shenandoah Stories Team Built in 1836, the Central Hotel was designed to serve individuals travelling on the Valley Turnpike. Providing spirits would have been part of its mission from the beginning. Who the early operators of the site were is unknown, but in the 1880s it was managed by Laonard Walters. On April 14, 1880, he was granted a license by Shenandoah County to keep an ordinary and retail liquor store at the site. In the 1885 Lake's Atlas he is listed as the owner of the hotel which was still providing spirits for travelers. Today this building is an apartment complex. For more, view the original article. 2017-09-07T11:13:55-04:00 2018-12-18T12:12:50-05:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/153 The Shenandoah Stories Team In the summer of 1939 Charles Bowman, a Mt. Jackson Orchard Owner, and his two sons Gordon and Courtland traveled to New York State to purchase the bankrupt Gilbert Apple Products plant just north of Mt. Jackson Virginia. This 80,000 square foot, two story facility processed fresh apples for sale and also canned applesauce. It was secured for approximately $3,000 and Bowman Apple Products was born. Over time this business would grow to become a major grower and producer of apple related products in the state of Virginia. The company expanded its products to include not only apple sauce but also canned apples, apple butter, juices, and other beverages. Many of the products are packaged for private labels including Wal-Mart, Safeway, Gatorade, Arizona Tea, and Dr. Pepper. Bowman also owned and packaged the Old Virginia Brand of apple products. The company was managed by the Bowman family from the time of its founding until its sale to Andros Foods in 2011. Gordon Bowman and his wife Martha were instrumental in ensuring the company survived and thrived during its early years. They were joined by their son Gordon Bowman II in the 1960s and he managed the company as president until the sale. Their Mt. Jackson Plant expanded to over 26,000 square feet of production space, 53,00 feet or warehouse storage, 80,000 square feet of cold storage, and 6,000 square feet of office space. It produced approximately 12.7 million pounds worth of apple-based products in 2017 and employed several hundred persons. For more (including 8 images), view the original article. 2017-01-19T14:38:32-05:00 2022-06-07T13:35:30-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/139 The Shenandoah Stories Team In 1897 Samuel Lonas purchased a mill at this site during Joseph Maphis’ bankruptcy sale. The “Maphis Mill” as it was commonly called had been constructed shortly after the Civil War when Joseph Maphis had acquired the land and rebuilt a mill destroyed during the burning. Soon after buying the structure S.P. established the Lonas Milling Company, upgraded the equipment and set out to make a profit. He would have ground local cereal crops into flour for baking and into animal feed. Lonas seems to have been successful. In addition to the mill he also operated a store in town and built an elegant residence that today houses Dellinger Funeral Home. He died in 1914 and the following year the mill was sold to J.I. Triplett to satisfy some of his estate’s debts. Three years later the mill building burned. However, Triplett had another use for the site and quickly built an electric power station on the ruins. The dam and mill race which had once powered a mill wheel, now supplied water to turbines that powered the town of Mt. Jackson and surrounding areas. In the 1950s Virginia Power, which had become the area’s primary electric provider, closed local power plants. The mill then became a residence and its wheel was removed used in a mill reconstruction project in Maryland. Today, only ruins of the structures and a portion of the dam remain. For more, view the original article. 2016-06-14T13:42:53-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/124 Shenandoah County Library On April 6, 1876 J.W.R. Moore sold Susan R. Cox this lot in the town of Mt. Jackson. The following year this two story, Victorian era house was built here. It has an elaborate middle pediment, steep pitched roof, and side gable. The house also sported a full length porch until 1974 when it was removed during a renovation. In the early 20th century the house was owned by Ann E. Stribling who was a part owner in some springs at Orkney Springs Virginia. Later it was acquired by Dr. Cecil Hupp who was a local physician from then until 1964. He used the first floor of the home as his office and rented the second floor. In 1973 Jim and Donna Wolfe purchased the house and conducted a massive renovation project. This included the addition of a large sun room on the rear of the house which interrupted the plague of skunks that had plagued owners throughout the 20th century. For more, view the original article. 2016-06-14T10:29:47-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/122 Shenandoah County Library In the 1920s, Charles Richard Shannon demolished an old house on this site and erected a new building to serve as the town’s post office. Apartments were housed on the second floor. His son, James Shannon became the Postmaster for the town of Mt. Jackson soon after this and served until 1970. A local legend claims the building was constructed in exchange for his appointment, though there is no evidence to collaborate this. James’s tenure, interrupted only by his military service from May 1944- December 1945, was the longest of any local postmaster. When he was originally appointed, local postmasters were still chosen by the President of the United States who picked people according to their political allegiance. However Franklin Roosevelt altered this system during his Presidency and Shannon was able to remain postmaster despite political changes. During the late 20th century, the post office in town had reached a crossroads. The Shannon building was no longer suitable for postal operations which had out grown the first floor space available to it. Eventually land was acquired on the north end of town and a new post office was constructed there in 1998. Today the building houses apartments and a first floor commercial space. For more, view the original article. 2016-06-13T17:09:22-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 http://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/121 Shenandoah County Library Just before the Civil War, a group of Mt. Jackson residents built this structure to house a local hotel. While the war interfered with their plans at first, an 1871 map does indicate that the building housed a hotel and post office. At that time, it was owned by Joseph Moore. By the 1920s, Moore’s daughter was living in the structure and had converted the second floor into a private residence. The first floor was occupied by commercial space. Several resturants, operated by the Hepners, Hansbergers, and Alexanders were located here. In 1936 the Mary Lee Beauty Parlor also operated inside. Like most other town buildings, its porch was removed when Route 11was widened in 1934. In 1944 the Coffman family acquired the property and converted it into apartments which it remains today. For more (including 2 images), view the original article.