In the spring of 2020, Bryan and Cathy were pondering the implications of the unfolding pandemic, and Cathy’s employer decided her days as a salesperson on the road were at an end. A friend called to tell them that the Thomas Shepherd Inn was coming on the market. Then another friend called. And another. They arranged to visit the property on the day it was first open for showing. Standing in the back yard after walking through, they had already decided to make an offer.
Community
Breaking Ground
The multi-year effort to build a new facility for the Shepherdstown Public Library takes a big step forward with the October 30 ceremonial groundbreaking ceremony at the new location adjacent to the Clarion Hotel property just outside of the Town boundary.
Still Cooking Family Recipes
Today Ortega’s Taco Shop is still busy, but with a different atmosphere. The same approach to the food, but a lot of rethinking about the operations.
History Afoot
The Certified Guide Tours, operated by the volunteers of the Harpers Ferry Park Association, are once again available with some modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outdoor Arts & Craft Event at Black Dog Coffee, Saturday, September 12
Looking to enjoy some fresh air? Stop by The Black Dog Coffee Company at 8001 Charles Town Road in Shenandoah Junction on Saturday, September 12 from 11am to 5pm for an outdoor “Makers Market.”
Uncovering History & Reconnecting a Community
Following the abolition of slavery, African American communities were rapidly established throughout Jefferson County. Churches were cornerstones of these communities — serving as houses of worship, schools, and community centers. The African American community in Kearneysville was known as Hartstown.
Gearing Up For Fun
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Peddle & Paddle in Shepherdstown is providing multiple avenues to get outside and be active while social distancing.
Temporary Quarters: Park Association Pop-Up Book Store
The Harpers Ferry Park Association bookstore in lower town has been closed since March due to COVID-19, but starting in September, the organization will have a pop-up bookstore outside on the green across the street from the bookstor.
The Vintage Lady Doesn’t Sit Still
Cindy Dunn has owned The Vintage Lady shop since 2004, and she’s seen a lot of people walk through the door in the past sixteen years. That changed when the pandemic shut down her shop in March.
Believing in the Community
For Libby Powell, it started with a carnival-type popcorn popper that her kids got her as present. Thinking it might be fun to repurpose the popper to roast coffee, Libby began to experiment a quarter cup of beans at a time.
Keeping the Vibe on German Street
In 1995, Garth Janssen found an opportunity to realize his own vision when he saw a space being vacated by another shop-keeper and opened the Lost Dog. For 25 years, that vision was his life, his family, his community, his art.
Building Hartstown
Following the end of the Civil War, formerly enslaved men, women and children developed many self-sustaining communities based on proximity to employment opportunities. Hartstown (or Harts Town) was the name of one such community that developed in Kearneysville, West Virginia.
Remembering Hartstown
Appalachia is often viewed through a narrow lens. The stories of Black communities throughout the region are often left untold or simply overlooked. Acknowledging these communities and preserving their stories helps us to truly understand the broad patterns of the cultural landscape in which we live today.
The Challenges of Feeding Kids During the Pandemic
In 2007, Diana Wall found herself called to a mission. Working with Community Combined Ministries, she founded a program to source, assemble and distribute food packages through the Jefferson and Berkeley County School Districts. Kidz Power Pacs (KPP for short) is designed to provide children food for weekends and school breaks, filling a gap not served by weekday, in-school nutrition programs funded by the government.
Honor D Fine Shoes & Hats
March was planned as a grand opening for a new street-front space on German Street in Shepherdstown. Honor Thomas had orders for spring merchandise being delivered to the freshly-painted shop and plans for an event-filled spring for her regular customers. “When the shut-down restrictions hit I stayed home for a week. I have a daughter who lives in Queens, in New York City, and hearing the stories from there, it seemed frivolous to be thinking about my hats and shoes.”