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…
Strasburg Passenger Depot
In 1878 the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad completed this passenger depot in Strasburg Virginia. It replaced an earlier station constructed by the Manassas Gap Railroad in 1854 near the current site of…
Lantz House
Between 1860 and 1870, the owner of Lantz Mill, Jacob Lantz, built this house on his family’s farm. The original building was a two story, Greek-Revival style structure. The Lantz family continued 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
Shenandoah County Jail
Constructed in 1906, this building replaced a stone jail that had been built 100 years earlier. That structure featured a jail yard, wooden fence, and small, dark cells that were called the “dungeon.”
This new jail was designed to improve…
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, lovingly called the “beautiful church on the hilltop,” dates to 1829 when Abraham Smutz and his family sold a parcel of land to a group of church trustees. This land contained a house that the deed required to be used as a…
Vehrencamp's
In 1955 Triplett and Vehrencamp closed their downtown store and reopened under the name Vehrencamp's on the north end of town. This new structure had been operating as the Rinker Brother's Filling Station but originally had been the Mt. Jackson…
Strasburg Reservoir
In 1923 the Town of Strasburg completed a new reservoir to supply the town with drinking water. The reservoir contained approximately 25 million gallons of water and was located in what is called “Little Fort Valley” atop the Massanutten Mountain…
Shenandoah County Alms House
During the colonial period, this area was part of the area’s 230 acre Glebe Farm. It was owned by Beckford Parish, the local organization of the established Anglican Church. The property was used to support church operations and their minister, one…
Crabill's Tavern
Sometime around 1825, David Crabill built this tavern south of present-day Maurertown, Virginia, to serve travelers on what would become the Valley Turnpike. Crabill would have provided them food, a hot bed, and spirits of their choosing.
The…