The first Lutheran Church in Woodstock predated the arrival of the town’s founder Jacob Mueller. Local German residents had felt the need for a place to practice their Lutheran faith and had therefore constructed a modest wooden structure in the…

In 1807 John Strayer constructed the front portion of this building at the corner of the Valley Pike and what was then the Sperryville Turnpike. The structure held both his home and mercantile business that sold hardware, clothing, and paint.…

St. James Lutheran Church in Zepp dates to around 1822 when W.G. Keil, a ministerial student, began conducting services in local homes. By September of 1822 he had established a church with 30 confirmed members. The first church building was…

In 1747, Hans George Lantz left Germany and eventually settled on 470 acres along Stoney Creek in Shenandoah County. The area he arrived in had been occupied by Native Americans for several centuries. Though some Europeans had already come here,…

This two story, brick structure, is one of numerous early 19th century Federal style buildings in the town of Mt. Jackson. The house was built around 1830 by Alexander Pollock, one of the individuals who helped sponsor Mt. Jackson’s town charter in…

On October 22, 1869 the Shenandoah Herald newspaper noted Samuel Bowman was “laying in a large supply of goods” and would soon open his new store on the “main street of Hamburg.” This building included the store originally included the store…