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
Emanuel Lutheran Church
The first Lutheran Church in Woodstock predated the arrival of the town’s founder Jacob Mueller. Local German residents had felt the need for a place to practice their Lutheran faith and had therefore…
Elizabeth Furnace
In 1836 this area had been home to Elizabeth Iron Furnace. This was one of many small iron producing furnaces that existed throughout Fort Valley and Shenandoah County.
Elizabeth utilized the power…
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…
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
Mt. Hebron United Methodist Church
The early residents of the Fisher’s Hill often gathered to hold religious meetings when traveling ministers, including those of the United Brethren denomination visited. In 1846 the number of Brethren members of the community had grown and they felt…
Pennybacker House
Around 1805 the Pennybacker family built this home in Mt. Jackson. Drawing upon their great wealth gained through the operation of several local iron furnaces, the
Pennbackers were able to construct on of the most opulent structures in town. In the…
Shannon Building
In the 1920s, Charles Richard Shannon demolished an old house on this site and erected a new building to serve as the town’s post office. Apartments were housed on the second floor. His son, James Shannon became the Postmaster for the town of Mt.…
Gray House
This two story, wood frame structure was completed in the early 19th century. It was constructed of v-notch logs, a typical German building design. Today it is covered in weatherboarding. A kitchen and dining room were added in the rear. The original…
St. John's UCC
The congregation St. John’s United Church of Christ was formed on October 6th, 1849 at the Hudson’s Crossroad community. This church, originally aligned with the German Reformed denomination, met in the area’s schoolhouse along with the older…
Evans Building
This two story, wood frame structure is typical of many downtown buildings in the area. It was built around 1913 by the Evans family. Walter Evans operated a barbershop on the first floor along with his wife, Mae’s tea room. They lived on the second…