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
Stroop's Snake and Alligator Farm
In 1927 Snoop’s Snake Farm opened two miles south of Edinburg in the small community of Bowman’s Crossing. Though we know little about the site, early advertisements indicated the site featured four…
George's Chicken
In 1944 the Holler family of Edinburg Virginia founded a small poultry processing plant along Stoney Creek west of Edinburg.
Over time this operation grew to become Blue Ridge Poultry and Egg…
Burner's Resort
In 1850 Noah Burner, a native of Fort Valley, built a resort on this location. Known as either Burner’s Sulphur Springs or Shenandoah Springs, it was known for its hospitable welcomes, blazing fires,…
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
St. Matthews Lutheran Church
An old history of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church reports that the Lutheran Church arrived in that area of Shenandoah County around 1806. Their efforts centered on the construction of a school near Saumsville, named Borden’s, which could be used as a…
St. John Bosco Catholic Church
St. John’s Bosco is a product of the influx of Irish immigrants who came to Shenandoah County in the mid to late 19th century to work on the local railroads. Two of these individuals, Michael Geary and Patrick Reiley, organized and built the original…
Strasburg School
In 1804 Jacob Funk, Alexander Hite, Joseph Stover, Jacob Lambert, Jonas Crabil, Anthony Spangler, and George Lind conducted a lottery to build a school on this site. There efforts would be successful and the Strasburg Academy opened soon…
Hisey Cobbler Shop
In 1889 Benjamin Franklin Hisey (1858-1946) constructed a cobbler shop on what is now Main Street in Edinburg Virginia.
Hisey made and sold a variety of shoes, including corrective footwear. His skill as a cobbler was regionally recognized, and…
Pearl White Theater
The Pearl White Theater opened on Main Street in Edinburg sometime in the 1920s showing silent movies for between 10 and 20 cents a show. Before it was completed, movies had been shown in the town hall. Electricity for this theater was provided by a…
Otterbein Chapel
The history of Otterbein Chapel can be traced back to the Funkhouser family, and their settlement along Mill Creek in the late 18th century. Jacob R. Funkhouser, a member of the third generation of that family to live in the area, was one of the…