Lexington, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Sheridan Livery Inn, 1887
Historic Lexington
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 8, 2021
1. The Sheridan Livery Inn, 1887 Marker
Inscription.
The Sheridan Livery Inn was built in 1887 by John Sheridan, an Irish immigrant who had fought in the Civil War and become a prominent local businessman and civic leader. He marked the date and the purpose of the building with two decorative keystones that still center the arches over the original carriage doorways. Sheridan had the contract for mail delivery and for the stagecoach line between Lexington, Staunton and Hot Springs. He also boarded, rented and sold horses. The Model T eventually brought a decline to his business and he sold it in 1919 to Rockbridge Steam Laundry Corporation. They converted the carriage doors to windows, added a section to the rear, and ran the community's laundry for fifty-one years. In 1973 a group of local businessmen converted the building into an indoor mall of small shops, and in 1994, another immigrant family, Ugo and Gina Benincasa, bought it, did an extensive interior renovation, carefully preserved the exterior, and converted the building into a restaurant and inn.
Erected by Historic Lexington Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists:
Location. 37° 47.146′ N, 79° 26.466′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Virginia. It is on North Main Street (Business U.S. 11) just south of East Henry Street, on the right. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35 N Main St, Lexington VA 24450, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 377 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
