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…
Headquaters School
In 1891 the Shenandoah County School Board constructed this school near the intersection of what is now Headquaters and Cave Ridge Roads. It was named Headquaters School after the local community…
Lantz Mills Community
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.…
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
Hackley House
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…
Cedarwood Cemetery
The first burial at Cedarwood Cemetery was recorded in 1870 but it was not until July 4, 1876 that the site was dedicated. It was the third cemetery to serve the town of Edinburg.
At the dedication ceremony, over 5000 people gathered to hear US…
Mt. Jackson Colored Cemetery
Sometime after the Civil War, Levi Rinker of Mt. Jackson donated a plot of land to that town’s African American community to serve as their cemetery. Later, an additional lot owned by Amanda Thorpe was also deeded to the cemetery.
This separate…
St. Luke Cemetery
Though technically a part of the St. Luke Lutheran Church, this cemetery has served local community members of all denominations since it was founded in 1889. Local families, including the Wismans, Cooks, Gochenours, Shrums, and Clarks are buried…
Thomas Hudson House
The Thomas Hudson House was constructed ca. 1790. It is located north east of the small community of Hudsons Crossroads.
This house is one of the best surviving examples of Germanic stone construction in Shenandoah County. It was built atop a…
Lantz Mill
The original Lantz Mill was constructed in the early 19th century by the Holler family. They had received a land grant from Lord Fairfax in the late 18th century and moved here to farm the land. The existence of Stoney Creek provided them with an…