2026-04-24T14:41:18-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories https://shenandoahstories.org 2016-06-15T10:53:58-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/127 Shenandoah County Library Around 1900, this two story, frame house was constructed in Conicville Virginia. Attached to the house is a single story structure that once served as the Conicville store. Oral history indicates the house may be one of the oldest in Conicville. It predates the store addition and in 1885 was owned by J. Ryman, a local businessman. He constructed the store addition in the early part of the 20th century. It also served as the community’s post office at various times.For decades it was one of the central commercial establishments in the community. Sometime in the late 20th century the store closed. Today the house is a private residence and the store is abandoned. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2016-06-15T10:41:17-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/126 Shenandoah County Library Sometime around 1890 this two story, frame house was constructed in the village of Conicville. At the same time a long one-story workshop was built just to the south of the house. Both were owned by Anthony Miller, a local blacksmith. He lived in the house and practiced his trade here through the 1940s. Today the shop is used for storage and the house is a private residence. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2016-06-03T14:00:30-04:00 2019-07-15T11:10:24-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/96 Shenandoah County Library 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 the site of the current school building on the south end of the community. By 1911, the population of the area was so large, a bigger school was needed. The former building was demolished and a new, state designed, school was constructed. This structure still stands. This 1911 school was one of the larger rural schools in the area and reflects prosperity of the community. It was named the Conicville School from the time of its opening. A large auditorium was included in the school’s design. School events including graduations, plays, and recitals were held here. Community groups, including a school league, also held fundraisers and meetings in the school. This use meant the school also served as a type of community center. Originally the school housed a primary and high school. Students attended grades 1-7 for free, but paid a tuition to complete upper grades. Children from other small communities that did not have a High School, and that could afford the tuition, would have also attended. Many of these individuals would have boarded with local families or regularly travel. With the opening of new high schools in each of the county’s towns in the 1930s, Conicville School became a primary school housing grades 1-7. During this period the introduction of school buses to the county allowed for the closing of smaller schools in other areas. Many of the students from the region surrounding Conicville were transferred to its school as part of a consolidation effort. In 1959 the Conicville School was closed following another round of consolidation. At the time the school was considered out of date and was in disrepair. Students were transferred to a newer school in Columbia Furnace. Since that time the former school building has served in various capacities as a commercial and residential space, including as home for a gift shop and later t-shirt business in the 1990s and early 2000s. For more (including 3 images), view the original article. 2016-06-03T13:32:03-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/95 Shenandoah County Library Christ Church UCC traces its history back to 1838 when it, acting under the German Reformed denomination, agreed to share a church building with St. Jacob’s Lutheran Church. This arrangement lasted until 1887 when Christ’s Congregation built a separate church building in Conicville. It was dedicated in May of that year. Since 1892, this congregation has been a part of the Mill Creek Charge. As such it and St. John’s UCC church in Hamburg share a minister. Like Conicville, the church has seen a declining membership as individuals leave the area. In 2008 the UCC yearbook indicated the church had lost 5% of its members and 36% of its budget. The church currently associates itself with the “Faithful and Welcoming” group of UCC churches that espouses conservative, evangelical theology. For more (including 5 images), view the original article. 2016-06-03T13:08:02-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/94 Shenandoah County Library This structure was built around 1749 by Jacob Rinker, an immigrant. The building tops a spring and was most likely designed to protect residents from Native American war parties who were fighting European encroachment. Rinker’s son, also named Jacob, was the house’s occupant. He served in the 8th Virginia Regiment during the Revolutionary War. For more (including 2 images), view the original article.