Shenandoah Stories
A project by Shenandoah County LibraryJoin us in our efforts to explore the history and culture of Shenandoah County Virginia through our web based tour platform Shenandoah Stories. Click a site on the map, select a tour, or view a random story to begin. Read more About Us
Featured Stories
Carriage Factory
Located next to the Deary Tavern, this two-story building was built in 1855. It is constructed with wooden weatherboarding on the outside, a heavy embossed metal on the inside, and a layer of brick in…
Mt. Zion Methodist Church
In 1868 the African American residents of Strasburg Virginia banded together to found Mt. Zion Methodist Church after being inspired by a series of travelling Methodist Missionaries that visited the…
Shenandoah County Memorial Hospital
On September 16, 1951 the Shenandoah County Memorial Hospital was dedicated in Woodstock Virginia. This was the result of a massive fundraising campaign that lasted just over five years.
Prior to…
Featured Tours
African Americans in Shenandoah County
13 Locations ~ Curated by Shenandoah County LibrarySpirits, Stills, and Temperance: Tracing the History of Alcohol in Shenandoah County
20 Locations ~ Curated by Shenandoah County LibraryFarms, Factories, and the Frontlines: Shenandoah County in the World Wars
10 Locations ~ Curated by The Shenandoah Stories TeamRandom Stories
New Market Observation Tower
After Pearl Harbor Americans feared that their communities could be targeted by the enemy, so a civil defense organization was created. Though officials realized the risk of attack was slight, they supported Civil Defense to help monitor military…
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
As early as 1844 a Lutheran congregation existed in Mt. Jackson Virginia. Though they did not have their own building, they had regular meetings in the town’s Union Church.
However the Lutherans outgrew the Union Church and decided to build their…
Mt. Jackson Methodist Church
On March 30, 1786 Methodist members of the community now called Mt. Jackson purchased a one acre plot of land near Red Banks for five shillings. Eventually they built a church called Bethel Ford Methodist Meeting House on this site.
Over time,…
Slaves at Spengler Hall
In 1820 14 enslaved African Americans called this place home. The Federal Census from that year noted 9 of them were male and 5 were female.
Four of these were owned by Philip S. Spengler Jr. Most likely his slaves were a mother and her three…
Mt. Jackson National Bank (Original Location)
In 1884 Dr. J.I. Triplett opened the Mt. Jackson National Bank in this building. It was the first national bank in Shenandoah County and the only one for over a decade.
From 1863 until 1935 the Treasury Department allowed certain banks to be…
Mt. Jackson Fire Station
In 1931 a group of concerned residents banded together to form the Mt. Jackson Fire Company. Their first fire engine was built on a 1931 Packard touring car chassis by company members. It was stored in a shed owned by Rufus “Boots” Lindamood in the…