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
Liberty Furnace
In 1821 Walter Newman purchased approximately 900 acres in the western part of Shenandoah County and one year later began mining and refining iron ore in the area. He called his production facility…
Laonard Walters Ordinary and Liquor Store/Central Hotel
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…
Casey Jones/Woodstock Brew House
Starting in the 1920s, clothing and textile manufacturing became prominent industries in the Shenandoah Valley. One group that operated in the area was the Casey Jones Work-Clothes Company. They…
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
Grace United Church of Christ
Grace United Church of Christ dates its history to the foundation to around 1760 when a church was built at Rudes’ Hill. This building housed a Lutheran and Reformed Congregation.
These groups moved to the area of Middle Road in 1783 when they…
Resthaven Inn
This structure, located at 310 N. Main Street, was built sometime before the Civil War by a “Dr. Reidel” for his sister Daisy McGinnis who operated a boarding school. The school was very popular and attracted not only local students but also…
Mt. Jackson High and Graded School
In 1877 the Shenandoah County School Board purchased a one-half acre lot to build a new school in Mt. Jackson. This would be the first county operated, public school in the town. The new structure would be finished the following year. It was part of…
May Day
Throughout the county’s history communities have been conducting parades and festivals. One type of this event was the ever popular May Day. Traditionally held on May 1st, this festival dates to early European efforts to celebrate the start of…
Laonard Walters Ordinary and Liquor Store/Central Hotel
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…
Union Church at Dry Run
In 1830, Fort Valley resident Daniel Munch donated two acres of land to house a school and church. He required that the church be available for all Protestant denominations. The one room church building that was constructed there was made of locally…