In 1816 the Reverend Paul Henkel, a notable Lutheran minister in the valley, noted Lutheran residents of Fort Valley formed their own independent congregation. Their meeting house stood on land donated by Jacob Golladay near the mountain road.…

In 1777 public records show that a house on this lot was willed to Anthony Knicely’s wife upon his death. This is most likely the first reference to the structure that is now known as the Wickham House. The original portion of this house is on the…

Around 1772 the front portion of this house, made of dressed limestone, was built on Muhlenberg Street in Woodstock. It was one of the few houses in town that was not a log structure. This fact highlights the wealth and privilege associated with the…

In 1750 George Keller, husband of Barbara Hottel, received a land grant from Lord Thomas Fairfax. This 400 acre portion of land became the Keller home when he and his family settles there ca. 1760. Surrounding this property was land owned by…

Sometime after occupying Hupp’s Hill on October 20, 1864, Federal troops belong to the second division, VI Corps of General Phillip Sheridan’s Army of the Shenandoah began work on a series of fortifications to protect themselves from Confederate…

This land was settled by the George F. Hupp, Sr. family in the 1750’s. Hupp, and his descendants, became successful farmers and local leaders. During the Civil War, this position was important strategic point. Both Union and Confederate forces…

Around 1890 the building that now houses the Strasburg Museum was constructed by the Strasburg Stone and Earthenware Manufacturing Company. Organization by Strasburg resident Dr. Granville Brown, this company operated a large steam pottery plant on…

From it’s founding in the mid-1770s, the Orkney Springs community has been welcoming visitors. Surrounding it was a plethora of springs that reportedly had healing powers. People from around the country flocked to the area to find a cure to their…

Massanutten Academy began in September of 1899 when the Virginia Classis of the Reformed Church opened the school in the residence of former US Senator H.H. Riddleberger which had been enlarged to serve as classrooms and the boy’s dormitory. The…

On July 4, 1867 a "Dr. Brown" visited Woodstock and preached at a “colored” camp meeting. This meeting laid the foundation of what is today Mt. Zion Methodist Church. The following year members of Woodstock’s African American community had raised…