2026-05-16T11:43:57-04:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://shenandoahstories.org/ Shenandoah Stories https://shenandoahstories.org 2020-05-12T11:31:42-04:00 2020-05-12T16:48:46-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/327 Shenandoah County Library This structure was built in the summer of 1881 to house the Chalybeate House. Its location close to the Strasburg Depot which was then located on Fort Street gave it easy access to visitors arriving in town via the railroad. A March 15 1882 advertisement in the Shenandoah Herald listed the house, or hotel, as being “new and conveniently furnished.” The notice lists A.P. McInturff as the proprietor and notes individuals could get “transient and permanent” accommodations. A chalybeate spring, containing minerals thought to improve an individual’s health, was reported to be near the house. Chalybeate’s reputation as an excellent lodging house would continue over the next several decades with the hotel receiving acclaim in national publications. In 1911 A.P. McInturff retired and sold the site to his son-in-law Lewis Machir. Lewis changed the name to Hotel Machir sometime after 1912. He also added additional rooms, electric lights, and running water. A 1917 broadside listed the hotel under that name using the tag line “The House of Tranquility.” That advertisement also notes it was Strasburg’s only hotel, had the “best drinking water in the world,", and each room had hot water heat. Lewis would only operate the hotel until his death in 1918 during the Influenza epidemic. His widow, Mary Machir, then took control of the hotel. In 1923 she placed an advertisement in John Wayland’s Scenic and Historical Guide of the Shenandoah Valley. This noted the hotel had “reasonable rates,” rooms with and without baths, hot and cold running water, hot water heat, and electric light. There is no mention of the Chalyebeate Springs. Mary Machir died in 1937. On the 1940 Sanborn map of Strasburg the site is listed as the “Confederate Inn Hotel” though no additional information is known about that institution. Some time after this the house was converted into an apartment complex. It operated as such during the latter half of the 20th century and as such today. For more (including 5 images), view the original article. 2020-03-09T11:42:34-04:00 2020-03-09T11:44:22-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/325 Shenandoah County Library This undated postcard shows Lloyd’s Department Store on King Street in Strasburg Virginia. The store was located beside what was the Massanutten National Bank, until recently the Strasburg Chamber of Commerce, near the intersection with Holliday Street. The building was first constructed around 1893 to house a store operated by Edward Zea which opened across the street in 1867. At some point, Zea was joined in business by R.S. Wright and the store became known as “Zea and Wright Department Store,” Their advertising claimed it was the town’s largest department store. Edward Zea died in 1903. Sometime between then and the creation of this photograph, the store was purchased by Lloyd and Bertha “Doll” Rosson who also operated a 5 & 10 cent store in Strasburg. Most likely this transfer occurred in the 1930s. They would have sold a wide variety of retail products including shoes, clothing, furniture, etc. The couple would operate the store through at least 1950. Today the building is part of the First Bank complex. For more, view the original article. 2019-10-15T11:33:26-04:00 2019-10-15T11:33:26-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/324 The Shenandoah Stories Team The Powhatan Lime Company of Strasburg Virginia dates to 1902. It was founded to quarry some of the area’s plentiful New Market limestone and to convert it into lime for use in construction agriculture, and numerous other industries. Powhatan Lime Company was on what is now Powhatan Road, near Junction Road just southwest of the Town of Strasburg corporate limits. Its location was not only near limestone deposits, it was also adjacent to the major rail lines that made up the Strasburg Junction. Rail power allowed the lime produced at the Powhatan plant to be shipped to markets around the country and internationally. In a May 10, 1918 edition of the Strasburg News Powhatan Lime Company is listed as one of five local lime plants. Collectively, these businesses employed over 250 persons and had a monthly payroll of over $12,000 or approximately $235,000 in today’s currency. The newspaper noted this income helped support local merchants and “without these plants, Strasburg would lose much of her life.” With the prosperity brought by these companies came risks. Lime production was, and is, and dangerous industry. Numerous locals lost their lives in accidents at plants in the Strasburg area. Included among these are Jack Renner, Hunter Boyd, Ashby Mitchll, George Huffman, and Cecil Alonzo Rinker. These five men were killed when a lightning strike detonated a buried dynamite charge at the quarry. The date when Powhatan Lime Company closed is uncertain. A 1945 National Labor Relations Board case noted the company was in operation, manufactured “chemical lime, fluxing lime, building lime, hydrated lime, agricultural lime, and crushed stone,” and produced approximately $125,000 worth of products annually, 80% of which was shipped outside the state of Virginia. A 1976 Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Report listed it as an abandoned quarry meaning the plant closed sometime between those two dates. Today, only the former quarry, now flooded, remains. For more, view the original article. 2018-04-11T16:32:42-04:00 2021-07-06T16:40:45-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/305 Shenandoah County Library In 1907 the Strasburg Textile Manufacturing Company opened on this site. The company manufactured various finished silk products. In 1934 Charles Platt and his son Nathan Platt purchased the company and focused on producing silk casket linings using raw materials imported from overseas. It eventually became the largest employer in Strasburg. When World War Two began in 1941, the oversea supply of silk was cut off. This led the Platts to invest in the production of nylon which had recently been engineered by the DuPon Chemical Company. By 1942 the Strasburg plant was manufacturing bolts of nylon that was used to make parachutes, rope cord, and other war materials. After the end of the conflict, the Strasburg Textile Manufacturing Company returned to the production of casket linings until its closure in 1977. Today, the building is still in use as the Strasburg Emporium, a popular antiques mall. For more, view the original article. 2018-03-22T16:57:45-04:00 2018-12-18T12:14:39-05:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/303 Shenandoah County Library 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 east of the town. The most challenging part of this undertaking was connecting the mountain top reservoir to the town’s existing water system. To accomplish this, a 1700 foot tunnel was bored through Massanutten Mountain so water could flow from the new reservoir to the town’s old reservoir which dated to 1905. This tunnel was a major engineering project that required an extensive amount of resources to complete. Newspaper articles at the time note that when the tunnel opened, the town held a major celebration in which almost the entire community rejoiced using fireworks, sirens, bells, horns, and other entertaining noisemakers. During last decades of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century towns across the country focused on major public works programs as part of a larger progressive moment designed to improve and modernize municipalities. Every town in Shenandoah County participated in this in some way and new roads, new reservoirs, new sewer systems, and new civic structures were built throughout the county. Reservoirs were especially popular since they provided drinking water, improved health, and enhanced fire protection. Most of the services provided by local government, including water and sewer, can be dated to this period. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2018-02-28T12:33:01-05:00 2018-10-19T11:46:22-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/301 The Shenandoah Stories Team In June 1913 Reverend Nickens, a Baptist minister and native of Strasburg, preached a service in that town. His actions must have inspired local African American's of the Baptist faith for just over a month later they began raising money to build a church building. On October 19, 1913 the cornerstone of what would be known as Esbie Baptist Church was laid. The church would be completed later that year. Esbie would become a major part of Strasburg's African American community. Its congregation is known for its strong outreach and community programs that reach beyond the confines of the church and of race. The small white church is still an active place on Sunday mornings. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2018-02-15T10:27:16-05:00 2018-12-18T12:11:53-05:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/299 The Shenandoah Stories Team 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 year Washington Carter became the congregation's first minister. The congregation was able to acquire land and construct their first church in 1869. Church tradition holds a cabin in the Fishers Hill community was acquired, dismantled, and moved to the church's Queen Street site to serve as a house of worship. This building would remodeled and expanded in 1885, 1907,and 1913. These projects included the construction of a bell tower, finishing of the interior, cladding the building in siding, and additions on the front and rear. Throughout its history Mt. Zion has been an important part of the Strasburg community, especially in the lives of its African American citizens. In a segregated society the church hosted most of the social, educational, and political events reserved for African American residents. These included bush meetings, church rallies, school plays, and Christmas programs. It also sponsored sports teams and helped fund the local segregated school. Today Mt. Zion remains an active congregation that is part of the United Methodist Church's Shenandoah Valley charge that includes Woodstock and Strasburg's historically black churches. It also maintains the adjourning Mt. Zion Methodist Church Cemetery which dates to around 1901 and is the community's historically black cemetery. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2017-10-02T16:18:34-04:00 2019-07-09T13:57:03-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/230 The Shenandoah Stories Team This mill was built sometime around 1797 by the Spangler family, who were some of the first Europeans to immigrate to the Strasburg area. It was designed with a wooden end because that material could absorb the vibrations associated with the mill wheel much easier than stone. Records indicate it was preserved during the Civil War because Union forces were utilizing the mill to produce their grain. The mill closed and became a restaurant and tavern in 1938. It had a large bar and was known for its good food, including Virginia ham, and wonderful atmosphere. Today, it is owned by the local Eagle's chapter but the restaurant is no longer open. For more (including 2 images), view the original article. 2017-10-02T16:09:16-04:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/229 The Shenandoah Stories Team This structure was built around 1755 and was the home of the Hupp family who were some of the earliest European immigrants into the Shenandoah Valley. It was built to provide protection from possible Native American incursions and other hostile raiders. A spring in the basement provided a readily available water source. It has been owned by the Hupps since that early period. Like many families of that era, the Hupps operated a distillery on their property. The purposely built distillery building still stands on adjacent property. It was built around the same time as the "Frontier Fort" and would have provided alcohol for the tavern operated at that site and for sale on national markets. For more (including 4 images), view the original article. 2017-02-16T13:51:44-05:00 2018-10-19T11:46:21-04:00 https://shenandoahstories.org/items/show/142 Shenandoah County Library In 1820 14 enslaved African Americans called this place home. The Federal Census from that year noted 9 of them were male and 5 were female. Four of these were owned by Philip S. Spengler Jr. Most likely his slaves were a mother and her three children. Seven of the slaves were owned by Anthony Spengler. When he dies in 1821 their names are listed in his inventory. Their names were Jim, Joe, Isaac, Betsy, Charlotte, Peter, and Sarah. Four of them (2 men and 2 women) were adults. One boy was 14, a girl was 12, and another boy was 2. All were sold at public auction on November 26, 1834. The remaining three slaves were owned by Joseph Spengler. These enslaved individuals who lived here had a very busy and hard life. They would have: -Performed construction tasks as needed. Slaves were most likely involved in constructing the house in 1800 and all outbuildings -Maintained and cleaned the house’s 10 rooms -Cooked for their owners, their owners families, guests of their owners, and themselves -Performed manual labor on the farm including planting, harvesting, and raising animals -Processed and preserved all agricultural products grown on the farm including work at the Spengler family’s mills -Manufactured a variety of items the household needed including candles, soap, utensils, tools, and much more -Designed, crafted, and cleaned their owner’s clothes and their own Where Jim, Joe, Isaac, Betsy, Charlotte, Peter, Sarah, and their compatriots lived is unknown. Some may have resided in the house’s rear wing which housed the kitchen. Others may have resided in shacks, outbuildings, or other structures in nearby fields. Today the community regularly refers to this structure as “Spengler Hall.” However, the house stands as more of a testament to the slaves who built it and who worked here than to those individuals considered the owners. For more, view the original article.