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 The City of Staunton was founded in the 1740’s in the central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia along the trail that evolved into the Great Philadelphia Wagon Road, the main land route south, which wound down the western frontier of Colonial America from Pennsylvania to Georgia. Here Staunton grew to become “The Queen City of the Shenandoah Valley,” and today thus it remains, a beautiful town in a stunning rural setting that is rich both in quality of life and in historical, architectural, and recreational attractions. Its location is the junction of U.S. Interstate Highways 81 and 64, two hours from the Washington, D.C., Capital Beltway via Interstate Routes 66 and 81, and it is served by air and rail transportation as well.
Staunton's fine collection of historic preservation areas includes the Gospel Hill Historic District, so named in the late 1790s when religious meetings were held at its blacksmith shop. Its elegant homes include examples of Victorian, Greek Revival, and Federal styles. The Downtown Historic District is a compact 19th century "Main Street," with buildings that date from Staunton's boom years between 1860 and 1920, and a fine concentrations of Victorian-era architecture. Its Wharf Historic District harks to the days when the railroad changed Staunton from a rural village to a center of commerce, with strong and sturdy warehouses. Since 1972 the Wharf Historic District has been on the National Register of Historic Places, and its depot and other preserved buildings house restaurants, antique shops and specialty boutiques. |
