|
Staunton
From its earliest settlement, Staunton has been the county seat and center of commercial activity for Augusta County. It has also been a center of education and arts. Countless schools have been located here and a number of historic institutions are still in existence after more than a century including: Stuart Hall, a college preparatory school; Mary Baldwin College, founded by the Presbyterian Church; and Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. The revitalized Victorian downtown attracts tourists to the city year round. The Blackfriar’s theater, built by Shenandoah Shakespeare, is a major draw. The Smith History and Art Center will house the Augusta County Historical Society, Historic Staunton and the Staunton-Augusta Art Center in the restored Eakleton Hotel. Two large museums, the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace and the Museum of American Frontier Culture; and three smaller museums, the Jumbo Museum, the Statler Brothers Museum and the 116th Infantry Regiment Museum, help thousands of people delve into the area’s history. Two parks, Montgomery Hall and Gypsy Hill are also open for recreational activities and athletic competitions.
back to top
Waynesboro
The watchword for Waynesboro and the surrounding area is industry. The town’s location along major transportation corridors (U.S. 250, I-64 to Richmond and the railroad) and the South River encouraged industries like mills and foundries by the late 18th century. Several large plants, including DuPont and are located here. In fact, Waynesboro is really two cities in one because it represents the merger in 1926 of the town of Waynesboro on the western bank of the South River and the town of Basic City, on the eastern bank. True to its industrial heritage, Basic was named for the "basic process" of making steel.
This city with the motto "Hospitality in the Valley," sits at the foot of Afton Mountain, which is a gateway to both the Skyline Drive (north) and the Blue Ridge Parkway (south). Visitors might want to visit the museum and studio of world-renowned artist P. Buckley Moss whose watercolor scenes of Shenandoah Valley rural landscapes and area Mennonites have earned her an amazing following. Or they might want to stop by the Virginia Metalcrafters showroom where brass and iron decorative items are now produced, but which started more than a century ago as a manufactory of stoves and water rams. In the fall the downtown streets are closed to vehicles as crowds flock to see the artwork at the Fall Foliage Festival. A recent spring addition in the city’s calendar of events has been Riverfest.
back to top
Fishersville
Situated as it is on U.S. 250, Fishersville could rightly be called a transportation crossroads. The road not only connects Waynesboro and Staunton, but continues east to make a beeline for the state capital in Richmond. When the C&O railroad crossed into the Shenandoah Valley from the east in the 1850s, it ran parallel to the road and gave the hamlet a railroad stop as well. It was this transportation network that made the area an ideal place to situate an army hospital during World War II. After the war, the complex was transformed into a comprehensive rehabilitation center, the first of its kind in the country. Today the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center shares a large site with an elementary school, high school and a vocational school. A middle school soon will be added. The Augusta County Public Library, housed in the former elementary school, sits alongside U.S. 250. A ball field is located behind the library. A short distance to the east of the village and just off I-64 is historic Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church as well as the regional hospital, Augusta Medical Center, which opened in 1994.
back to top
Stuarts Draft
In a place where cornfields and chocolates are equally abundant, Stuarts Draft, located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, is a community engaged in a balancing act between industry and agriculture. Some of the residents would say it is an uneasy balance that has created an amazing amount of growth and change in the last 20 years, but most would agree that the down-home spirit of the area’s people have helped "The Draft" retain its small-town, farm community atmosphere. The last two decades have seen much of the area’s prime farmland converted to factories. And although industry has certainly changed the character of the land, particularly in creating new subdivisions to house all the employees, there are no smoke-belching, noisy companies to be seen. Perhaps the best-known industrial citizen of The Draft is Hershey Foods where chocolate candies roll off the assembly line in a building still surrounded by cornfields. The other companies include Hollister, a medical supply company; McKee Foods, which makes Little Debbie snack cakes; and Target, which chose Stuarts Draft as the place to erect the second largest building in the state of Virginia (only the Pentagon beats it for square footage). Much, but not all, of the local farming culture lies with the several very traditional religious sects which have settled in the area, including the Amish-Mennonites, Amish, and Mennonites who moved into the area during the early 20th century. An elementary, middle and high school all serve the community. There is a volunteer fire department and rescue squad and a satellite office of the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. A number of businesses and restaurants make their home in the Draft.
back to top
Verona
In an odd twist of fate, this sleepy little farming hamlet may soon become the most important community in Augusta County. The county government, which has had Staunton as its county seat since the mid-18th century, has slowly been transferring its official activities to Verona. Action is centered around the new government center, which once housed a highly successful trucking company called Smith’s Transfer. When the company closed, Augusta moved in and transformed the terminals into a long, low building housing the government offices and meeting rooms. Plans are being made to move the jail and courthouse to Verona. Behind the center is a new industrial park built to attract new businesses to Verona.
A number of highly successful businesses are already located here including American Safety Razor, McQuay, which manufactures air conditioners, and John D. Eiland beer distribution. Also located near the business center is the Blue Ridge Food Bank, which collects surplus food and distributes it to the needy. Just to the west of Verona is an outdoor theater, Oak Grove, which is the scene of plays and concerts during the summer months.
back to top
|
|
