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
Chapin and Sachs Manufacturing
Chapin and Sachs, sometimes known as Chapin and Sacks, Manufacturing opened a plant in Woodstock Virginia in 1910 following the purchase of the A.W. Nicodemus & Sons Creamery building on what is now…
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…
Laonard Walters Ordinary and Liquor Store/Central Hotel
Built in 1836, the Central Hotel was designed to serve individuals travelling on the Valley Turnpike. Providing spirits would have been part of its mission from the beginning.
Who the early…
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
Woodstock Christian Church
Members of the Christian Church, also called the Disciples of Christ, have worshiped in Woodstock since the mid-19th century. Though few records exist, we do know they held their first meetings in the Courthouse alongside the Episcopalians and…
Mt. Zion Methodist Church
In 1868 the African American residents of Strasburg Virginia banded together to found Mt. Zion Methodist Church after being inspired by a series of travelling Methodist Missionaries that visited the town and organized religious meeting. That same…
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…
Margaret Pennybacker House
Around 1886, Margaret Muse Pennybacker completed this house. Her ancestors had been influential commercial leaders in the area and had acquired a great fortune from numerous iron furnaces. They had also been major slaveholders and harsh taskmasters.…
Mt. Airy School
In June 1880 Levi Gochenour deeded a one-acre lot to Shenandoah County Public Schools for the purpose of building a schoolhouse for the families of the surrounding community. It is believed he provided this particular lot, located a half a mile from…
JR Miller Tailor Shop
Sometime in the late 19th century Joseph Russell Miller opened a tailor shop on Main Street in Woodstock. A native of Hardy County West Virginia, Miller had moved to Woodstock as a child and was trained as a tailor in a Frederick County shop.…