First known as Wolf Hills, land was patented here by Dr. Thomas Walker in 1750. Black's Fort was built, 1776. The town of Abingdon was established in 1778 as the county seat of Washington County. A courthouse, built about 1800, was replaced in . . . — — Map (db m7805) HM
[Top plaque]
]This property has been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
[Center plaque]
The Abingdon Bank
has been registered as a . . . — — Map (db m209906) HM
On December 1, 1864, Union Gen. George Stoneman led 5,700 cavalrymen east from Knoxville, Tennessee, to destroy iron-, lead-, and saltworks in Virginia that were essential to the Confederate war effort. After actions at Kingsport and . . . — — Map (db m67298) HM
Many types of animals have been used in military service since ancient time. From Hannibal crossing the Alps with a herd of elephants to the well known work dogs still employed today in our military, animals have long provided loyal and dedicated . . . — — Map (db m210297) HM
This building was erected in 1831. The Barter Theatre was founded by Robert Porterfield during the Depression of 1932. The original idea of the Barter Theatre was to bring together the hungry actor and the farmer with a supply of produce. . . . — — Map (db m209967) HM
The Barter Theatre building was constructed about 1830 as a church, which was remodeled several times. Among the oldest theaters in America, the building hosted its first performance in 1876. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Robert . . . — — Map (db m45236) HM
Major William Edmiston. William Edmiston was named by General William Campbell as the commanding officer of the Virginia Militia at the Battle of King’s Mountain SC. Known for bravery under fire Major Edmiston ordered his troops up the mountain . . . — — Map (db m46267) HM
Black's Fort History
from History of Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786
Washington County 1777-1870
by
Lewis Preston Summers
In 1760, what was to become Abingdon received its first name, Wolf Hills, from Daniel Boone after his hunting party was . . . — — Map (db m210058) HM
Born in Prince Edward Co. on 3 Feb. 1807, Joseph Eggleston Johnston, the son of Judge Peter Johnston, moved a mile north of here with his family in 1811. He attended Abingdon Male Academy and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in . . . — — Map (db m45330) HM
Since the beginning of our nation in 1776, American service men and women have marched away to distant places, leaving friends, family and their own hopes and dreams in order that others may be free.
Over the years we have used different . . . — — Map (db m67305) HM WM
Banner One: Blazing Trails in the Wilderness and for Freedom – Following buffalo and ancient Indian trails, the Cherokee and Shawnee were succeded by surveyors and explorers including Daniel Boone (1760). Colonial settlers showed their . . . — — Map (db m210119) HM
The American Civil War (1861-1865) was the result of decades of tension between the North and the South. Chief among the issues were expansion of slavery into the western territories, the South's declining political power, states' rights, and the . . . — — Map (db m210072) HM
Boyhood home of Rev. Robert Sheffey, “The Saint of the Wilderness”, legendary circuit-riding frontier preacher who gave up wealth and social position to spread the Word and Spirit of God.
Built in 1820 by James and Elizabeth White. Partially . . . — — Map (db m209907) HM
The "Cold War”, often dated from 1947-1991, was a sustained state of high political and military tension between the powers of the Western World, led by the United States and its NATO allies, and the communist world, led by the . . . — — Map (db m208196) HM
Confederate General John Hunt Morgan,
"The Thunderbolt of the Confederacy" was
placed here in the Martin tomb for a short time
after his death in Greeneville, Tennessee on
September 4. 1864. General Morgan's funeral was
the largest Abingdon had . . . — — Map (db m104883) HM
The Daughters of the American Revolution, founded 1890 in Washington D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization of over a million members. The DAR mission is dedicated to preserving American history, securing . . . — — Map (db m210279) HM
The first court house of Washington County, built 1778 of surplus logs from Blacks Fort. Size 20 foot square. In use from 1778-1800. — — Map (db m209903) HM
The Chaplain Corps dates back to July 1774 when the Continental Congress at the request of General George Washington authorized one chaplain for each regiment of the Continental Army. The Navy Chaplaincy was instituted in November of that same . . . — — Map (db m208374) HM
David Campbell was born in Aug. 1779 at Royal Oak in Washington County (present-day Smyth County), Virginia. His family eventually moved to Hall's Bottom outside Abingdon. Campbell served in the infantry during the War of 1812 and was promoted to . . . — — Map (db m45323) HM
John Buchanan Floyd, son of Governor John Floyd (1738-1837), was born in Montgomery County on 1 June 1806. He represented Washington County in the Virginia House of Delegates (1847-1849) and served as governor of Virginia (1849-1852). Floyd was . . . — — Map (db m45027) HM
Green Spring Presbyterian Church was
organized by 1784 and met in a log structure
that stood east of here. The present church
location has been in use since about 1794
when James Montgomery deeded the property
to the congregation as long as its . . . — — Map (db m104889) HM
This monument was erected in 1913 by the citizens of Abingdon to mark the grave of Henry Creswell who was killed by the Indians near this place and was the first person buried in this cemetery.
The original slab now at foot of grave bore the . . . — — Map (db m254607) HM
1830 Constructed as Protestant Methodist Church.
1867 Presbyterian Female Institute established.
1868 Stonewall Jackson Female Institute open. Building used as Chapter House for school's literary societies and YWCA.
1914 Fire destroys . . . — — Map (db m233858) HM
Veterans Day is an official United States holiday honoring the men and women who have served in military service. It is observed each year on November 11. Veterans Day coincides with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day which are also celebrated in . . . — — Map (db m210121) HM
On March 13, 1942, FBI Special Agents (SAs) Hubert J. Treacy, Jr. and Charlie Tignor, at a spot near this location, attempted to arrest two fugitives who immediately opened fire on the agents. SA Treacy was killed instantly and SA Tignor was . . . — — Map (db m210074) HM
As the American Revolution dragged into its fifth weary year in 1780, this quiet corner of the colonies was thrust into the fray. An incendiary threat by British Major Patrick Ferguson provoked the people of this area to action. Angered by . . . — — Map (db m210144) HM
John Campbell, the brother of Governor David Campbell, was born about 1788 in part of Washington County, that is present-day Smyth County. Campbell attended the College of New Jersey (later became Princeton) and Washington College. He was a member . . . — — Map (db m45255) HM
From this vicinity went forth a force of Virginians, under the command of Colonel William Campbell, to fight against the British in the Carolinas, 1780. The Virginia troops played an important part in the victory of King's Mountain, South Carolina, . . . — — Map (db m45394) HM
Landon Boyd, an African American brick mason born into slavery, was an Abingdon resident. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Civil War, he lived in Richmond. In May 1867, he served on the petit jury for the U.S. District Court in Richmond . . . — — Map (db m67292) HM
Landon Boyd's enslaved mother, Charlotte Boyd, gave birth to him on September 15, 1838, in Richmond. He rose to remarkable heights for a Black man in a white-dominated society.
Governor Wyndham Robertson is believed to have been Boyd's father. . . . — — Map (db m237369) HM
The Lewis & Clark Expedition, known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the first American expedition to cross the northwestern portion of the United States. On May 14, 1804, the Corps – consisting of 33 men – departed from St. Louis for the . . . — — Map (db m210068) HM
The Great Road, a thoroughfare linking the Valley of Virginia to the interior of North America, passed through Abingdon. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark used this route when returning to the East after their expedition to the Pacific Ocean . . . — — Map (db m305062) HM
The first “Liberty Tree” was an American Elm Tree that stood on the Boston Commons in Boston, Massachusetts prior to the American Revolution. On 14 August 1765 a group of men calling themselves the “Sons of Liberty” gathered in Boston under the elm . . . — — Map (db m210064) HM
The McCabe Lodge No. 56, Independent Order of Odd Fellows decided in 1853 to establish a women's college named after Martha Washington. The Holston Conference of the Methodist Church assumed control of the project by 1858. That same year the . . . — — Map (db m45239) HM
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest medal of valor that can be bestowed upon members of the Armed Forces of the United States of America. It is sometimes referred to as the “Congressional Medal of Honor” because it is presented to the . . . — — Map (db m210109) HM
In the summer of 1780, the American Colonies' hopes of independence seemed bleak. Britain's commander in the South, Lord Charles Cornwallis, considered the southern colonies, especially Georgia and the Carolinas, mostly loyal to King George. . . . — — Map (db m210066) HM
Since World War I, the poppy has stood as a symbol of remembrance and pledge to never forget all who have fallen in war and military operations. Prior to World War I, few poppies grew in the fields of Flanders which were located in Belgium and . . . — — Map (db m210298) HM
At the end of the Vietnam War (1959-1975), there were more than 2,000 servicemen and women missing in action in Vietnam, Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia. The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast . . . — — Map (db m67351) HM WM
The Purple Heart is an American military decoration awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the Armed Forces wounded in combat, or posthumously to the next of kin for those killed or who die of wounds received in . . . — — Map (db m210296) HM
Michael Widener (1758-1843) immigrated to America from Germany a few years before the American Revolution and served in the Virginia Militia and the Continental Army during the Revolution. He first saw service under the command of Captain Abraham . . . — — Map (db m210282) HM
To the south at Craig’s (Dunn’s) Meadow, is the
likely site of the Washington County militia’s
muster ground for the Revolutionary War’s Kings
Mountain Campaign. In Sept. 1780, under the com-
mand of Col. William Campbell the militiamen . . . — — Map (db m46264) HM
Built in 1792 by Andrew Russell, who was Dep. Clerk of the Circuit Court of Washington County for 50 years (1791-1841). East wing added in 1876 by Samuel Honaker. — — Map (db m209913) HM
In 1773, the Rev. Charles Cummings became
the first minister of the Sinking Spring
Presbyterian congregation, among the
earliest in Southwest Virginia, and the first
meetinghouse was soon constructed here of
logs. The earliest marked grave in . . . — — Map (db m104672) HM
For more than 250 years, from generation to generation, the men, women, and youth of the congregation have sustained religious ferfor and faithfulness during many challenging times, responding to God's grace by being a welcoming community, . . . — — Map (db m305066) HM
Wm. Fletcher Addison • Brig. Gen. J. B. Floyd • Capt. W. T. Baldwin • Capt. John W. Barr • Col. Wm. W. Blackford • W. A. Buckley • Sgt. John W. Butt • Dr. E.M. Campbell • Maj. J.C. Campbell • Col. D. A. F. Campbell • J. E. Clark • Lewis Thompson . . . — — Map (db m210125) WM
The fort, built in 1776, stood a short distance to the south. Here the first court of Washington County was held, January 28, 1777. — — Map (db m45021) HM
The Sons of the American Revolution was founded in 1889. Its mission and purpose is maintaining and extending "the institutions of American freedom, an appreciation for true patriotism, a respect for our national symbols, the value of American . . . — — Map (db m210115) HM
In 1776 a small group of American patriots gathered in the colonial town of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These men of courage, conviction and vision came forth with new ideas and ideals to form a new nation based upon the untested principles that . . . — — Map (db m210283) HM
Split Rail fences were used by early pioneer families to fence in their livestock, to protect their crops from their farm animals, and to mark boundary lines. The fences were constructed out of timber logs which were split into rails. Most split . . . — — Map (db m67299) HM
The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, and set to the music of To Anacreon in Heaven, an old English tune. In the summer of 1813, Major George . . . — — Map (db m210253) HM
Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church established the institute in 1868 for the education of young women. As a tribute, it was named for Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. The Floyd family property was purchased in Feb. 1868 to . . . — — Map (db m45135) HM
Determined men on horseback filled this muster ground on September 24, 1780. Their goal: hunt down British Major Patrick Ferguson and his 1,000 loyalist soldiers. Called to action by American Colonel William Campbell, 400 men from the surrounding . . . — — Map (db m210131) HM
The Crooked Road
Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Coalfields region, southwest Virginia is blessed with historic and contemporary music venues, musicians, and fretted instrument makers. Historically . . . — — Map (db m233859) HM
"Parson" Charles Cummings was called by the Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church to be its minister on January 5, 1773. He accepted the call on June 2, 177,and continued as its minister until approximately 1792.
This cabin was built by Parson . . . — — Map (db m211155) HM
During the colonial days, Minutemen were a small hand-picked elite force of citizen soldiers who were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly. Minutemen were selected from militia muster rolls by their commanding officers. . . . — — Map (db m67311) HM
Here in September 1780, 400 men heeded the call to muster by Colonels Arthur and William Campbell. The members of Black's Fort Chapter, NSDAR and General William Campbell Chapter NSSAR honor the sacrifices of their heroic overmountain ancestors. . . . — — Map (db m210151) HM WM
Lt. Billy Webb was one of the countless thousands of our fallen servicemen and women who gave their lives for “our freedom.”
William “Billy” Webb was born and raised in Abingdon, VA and was the only son of Grant and Mary Gray Webb. As a . . . — — Map (db m210073) HM
Oldest building in Abingdon
Originally a stagecoach stop, inn, and tavern
First post office west of the Blue Ridge
Served as a hospital for wounded soldiers during the Civil War — — Map (db m209975) HM
The Abingdon Branch
“The Virginia Creeper”
Norfolk & Western Railway’s Abingdon Branch began in 1887 as the Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad (AC&IRR). The Virginia-Carolina Railroad (VCRR) bought the AC&IRR in 1900, and extended rail . . . — — Map (db m67291) HM
On September 11, 2001 four U.S. airliners en route to various airports in the United States were almost simultaneously highjacked in a coordinated attack against the United States by a radical Islamic terrorist group known as “al-Qaeda”. The purpose . . . — — Map (db m210174) HM
In the years preceding the war with Mexico, the United States and Mexico were two nations headed in opposite directions.
The United States, inspired by the concept of “Manifest Destiny,” confidently expanded its territories westward. Meanwhile, . . . — — Map (db m231522) HM
On June 2, 2003, at the request of local military veterans, the Town of Abingdon set aside, dedicated and designated this 13 acre tract of land as Veterans Memorial Park to be a permanent place to recognize and pay tribute to American military . . . — — Map (db m210059) HM WM
Walnut Grove, a recreation of an early Appalachian homestead, is an authentic representation of what was common to pioneer life in this region from the late 1700's until the early 1900's.
Beginning with a simple log cabin, pioneer settlers, over . . . — — Map (db m210000) HM
In the years following the Revolutionary War, Britain became embroiled in a titanic struggle with France – called the Napoleonic Wars – across continental Europe and on the high seas.
During this turbulent period, American and Britain . . . — — Map (db m210070) HM
Three earlier courthouses stood on this site, the first constructed about 1800. The present Washington County courthouse was completed in 1868, replacing the 1850 building burned by a Union soldier in Dec. 1864. The only new courthouse built in . . . — — Map (db m44973) HM
In memory and honor of these service
men from Washington County, Virginia
who gave their lives for the cause of freedom
in
Iraq
SSG Gregory V. Pennington U.S. Army 21 June 2004
SSG James Earl Estep U.S. Army 15 November 2005
May . . . — — Map (db m210063) WM
In memory and honor of these service men
from Washington County, Virginia
who gave their lives for the cause
of freedom in
Vietnam
• SGT James Harold Lewis, U.S. Army, 10 December 1965
• 2LT William Winton Webb, U.S. Army, 5 June 1966 . . . — — Map (db m210062) WM
Erected in honor of soldiers who fought The American War for Independence, 1776-1783, whose graves are in Washington County, Virginia.
Dedicated July 4, 2001, by Black’s Fort Chapter of The Daughters of American Revolution.
Aylesworth, . . . — — Map (db m211162) WM
The first hotel in Abingdon, built by
Thomas Findlay
Earlier history at this site
Circa 1783, William Bagnell built and operated
a log tavern
In 1810, John Gum maintained a dwelling
house, stable and lumber yard
In 1820, Fincastle . . . — — Map (db m209976) HM
Legend has that in 1760 Daniel Boone and his dogs were attacked by a pack of wolves while he was camped at a nearby spring. So, he named the area Wolf Hills. Hence, the wolf and "Wolf Hills" have become iconic symbols for Abingdon.
According to . . . — — Map (db m211115) HM
Legend has it that in 1760 Daniel Boone and his dogs were attacked by a pack of wolves while he was camped at a nearby spring. So, he named this area Wolf Hills. Later, maps of the region also referred to this place, which is now Abingdon, Virginia, . . . — — Map (db m209805) HM
Wolf Mills Forge is a working blacksmith shop that is part of a recreated early Appalachian homestead. This “village homestead” is an authentic representation of what was common to pioneer life in this region from the late 1700s until the early . . . — — Map (db m209998) HM
Since 1776 more than 2½ million women have served in our military services in the defense of our nation. Beginning with the American Revolutionary War and continuing through the present day, in all military conflicts, including War of 1812, Civil . . . — — Map (db m210300) HM
World War I, also known as the First World War, The Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global conflict that took place in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, China and the Pacific Islands between 1914 and 1918. On 28 June . . . — — Map (db m210128) HM
Smyth County
Area 435 square miles
Formed in 1832 from Washington and Wythe, and named for General Alexander Smyth, member of Congress for many years. Salt works here were operated at an early date, and at Saltville a battle . . . — — Map (db m209892) HM
The first place of worship in Damascus was Wright's Chapel (Methodist) built around 1830 at Mock's Cemetery on Red Hill. The church burned down and was rebuilt outside of town. Damascus at that time was called Mock's Mill after a grist mill built . . . — — Map (db m209495) HM
Respected keepers of musical traditions have lived in Damascus or nearby for many years. Among them, blind balladeer Horton Barker who went to the White House to sing for President and Mrs. Roosevelt in the 1930s. Walter "Sparkplug" Hughes was a . . . — — Map (db m209485) HM
In the Spring of 1821 Henry A. Mock moved from North Carolina and bought 91 acres of land from early settler John Larimer for $405. Immediately he set about building an earthen dam across Laurel Creek for a grist mill. Although the area had been . . . — — Map (db m209490) HM
From 1902 until it was built the church’s congregation gathered in the upstairs rooms of the J. L. Gilpin Blacksmith Shop. The Rev. J. M. McChesney was the first minister to serve in this building. — — Map (db m209494) HM
In 1901 the first street lamps in Damascus were eight oil lamps on poles spaced on both sides of Main Street, now Laurel Avenue. Dave Wright was employed at 15 cents a day to keep the lamps lit.
Then in 195 the Damascus Light and Power Company . . . — — Map (db m211098) HM
The first settlers in this area were the Cherokee, an Iroquois-speaking tribe with widespread settlements along the river valleys of what is now Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee. A hunting camp was located adjacent to Laurel Creek north of . . . — — Map (db m209500) HM
When the first white settlers came to this valley between two unnamed creeks, it was an uninhabitable forest of laurel thickets. Land grants were first issued in 1785, and the first homes were built downstream on more suitable land. Only rough paths . . . — — Map (db m254314) HM
In front of you and across the water lies Legion Island, surrounded on both sides by Laurel Creek. Between the late 1920s and the late 1960s Legion Island was a focal point of Damascus summer recreation and social activities. The large (40 feet by . . . — — Map (db m209498) HM
Camp cars were used in rural locations where motels were not available. A crew usually consisted of six (6) workers and a cook. the car had bunkbeds, a kitchen, a pot belly stove and a primitive toilet. The car was brought to a siding on Monday and . . . — — Map (db m211091) HM
The Virginia Carolina Railway which is now the Virginia Creeper Trail was originally built to haul timber cut from what is now the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. It is estimated that between 1907 and 1930 approximately 15 million board feet . . . — — Map (db m211093) HM
The Virginia Creeper Trail was born from conflict. When the last train ran on March 31, 1977, three factions quickly emerged. One group wanted to continue the operation of the railroad as a passenger and freight line; another group, primarily . . . — — Map (db m211096) HM
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