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
Ashby District Honor Board
During both WWI and WWII, country residents sought ways to memorialize their family members, friends, and neighbors who were serving in the armed forces. One of the most popular ways they found was by…
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,…
Shenandoah Caverns
In 1884 individuals construction workers building the Shenandoah Valley Railroad accidentally discovered a caverns west of Mt. Jackson.
Though locals had called the area Forestville for years, in…
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. James Lutheran Church
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…
Mt. Zion Methodist Church
On July 4, 1867 a "Dr. Brown" visited Woodstock and preached at a “colored” camp meeting. This meeting laid the foundation of what is today Mt. Zion Methodist Church.
The following year members of Woodstock’s African American community had raised…
Toms Brook School
As early as 1874 a school existed on this property in Toms Brook. That year county resident Levi Pitman noted his brother began teaching there. Five years later the school superintendent, John Grabil, recorded that the student population at Toms…
Shenandoah Valley Academy
In 1905 Charles D. Zirkle, who was on his deathbed, donated 45 acres of his property to the Virginia Conference of Seven Day Adventist to build a school. Two years later construction began on the main building of what was then the New Market Academy.…
Conicville School
The first school in what is now Conicville opened in 1873. It was a one room school that stood in the middle of the community which was then called Cabin Hill.
It was replaced by a two room school within 10 years. That structure was located on…
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church was founded in Mt. Jackson in 1912.
Few records exist describing the church or its activities. The church celebrated its 26th anniversary on September 18, 1938 with a dinner and special service according to a September 16,…