River Road, east of Shepherdstown is a sleepy part of Jefferson County today. In September 1862 it was a pretty busy place, with an estimated 1,700 Union troops crossing the Potomac River from Maryland to engage 3,000 Confederate troops positioned on the south bank and cliffs above. One hundred and sixty years later, you need to look closely to see any signs of the two-day battle, other than a roadside marker. Read the Full Story >>
historic preservation
Building The Shepherdstown Opera House
Construction of the Shepherdstown Opera House began in December 1909 and the theater opened its doors for its first show in June of 1910. Read the Full Story >>
Remembering & Maintaining Fairview Cemetery
Cemeteries not only serve as resting places for our loved ones but also offer windows into our history. Old family graveyards are often a lasting mark of the wealthy landowners of the 19th century. Cemeteries established to bury the Civil War dead, like Elmwood, Edge Hill, and Pine Grove, remind us of the true cost of war. Church cemeteries are monuments to the congregations and community who once prayed together within their walls. Read the Full Story >>
Preserving the Past, Enriching the Future
The Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission first met on March 18, 1974. From that first meeting through today, their goals continue to focus on heritage education, historic resource development, and research, in addition to preserving the county’s invaluable historic resources. Read the Full Story >>
Library Repairs Begin In Shepherdstown
Repairs on the library have begun in Shepherdstown — the services of Gruber-Lattimer of Sharpsburg, Maryland have been selected to restore the historic brick structure of the Old Market House. The home of the Shepherdstown Library was damaged by a vehicle on July 4. Read the Full Story >>
A Vision for Hill Top House
By the time Fred and Karen Schaufeld first saw the Hill Top hotel in the early 1990s, it was still imposing, but definitely “shabby chic” as they described it — built to last, but worn down by time. Read the Full Story >>
Exhibit at Berkeley Art Works Celebrates Historic African-American Cemetery
Since 2017, a growing group of local residents has been working to restore the Green Hill Historic African-American Cemetery (GHHAAC) in Martinsburg. The idea for the show at Berkeley Art Works, Fresh Visions: An Exhibit to Celebrate the Green Hill Historic African-American Cemetery, was proposed by Berkeley Arts Council member and GHHAAC volunteer Charles Mortensen. Read the Full Story >>
Historic Shepherdstown’s 2020 Holiday Ornament On Sale Now
Shop now for Historic Shepherdstown 6th in a series of Holiday Ornaments. This year features the Shepherdstown Opera House. The ornaments can be purchased in the HSC office by calling 304-876-0910 to make an appointment or they can be purchased on their website. Read the Full Story >>
The Yellow House: Quietly One of Shepherdstown’s Oldest Homes
Shepherdstown is often designated the oldest town in West Virginia—some thirty-odd years older than the nation itself. High Street is considered to be the oldest street in town—used by pioneers crossing the Potomac River at Pack Horse Ford when they came up over the bluffs to the town—and on it sits a building named the Catherine Weltzheimer House, a.k.a., The Yellow House, circa 1817. Read the Full Story >>
A Walk Through Living History in Jefferson County
I met Mr. Washington about a week after Independence Day. Walter Washington, that is, not George. And the year was 2016 not 1776. But it was an odd feeling nonetheless; a brush with the closest thing that America has to a royal family Read the Full Story >>