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Q: How did the cave House gain its name?
| The Cave House, located on Main Street, was named after the caves which underly the property. Legend has it that in 1760 when Daniel Boone camped near this site, his hunting dogs were attacked by wolves from the caves. So, the settlement was known as Wolf Hills |
Q: What other types of businesses have been housed in The Tavern building?
| The Tavern, located on Main Street and built about 1788, has in its long history been used as a home, post office, bank, bakery, store, cabinet shop, barber shop, antique shop, and restaurant. |
Q: What is Abingdon's connection with Patrick Henry?
| In the early 1800s, two of Patrick Henry's nieces lived in Abingdon, Sarah Buchanan Campbell Preston lived with her husband in Abingdon. They later built a gracious, large home, the General Preston house, which as later known as the Martha Washington Inn. Mary Wood Johnson was also a niece of Patrick Henry, and she lived in the eastern end of town. |
Q: When were the earliest taverns opened in Abingon?
| The earliest recorded tavernkeepers were Christopher Acklin and John Yancey. They operated taverns within their log homes on the courthouse hill. The Washington County justices had strict rules for taverns including rates for alcohol, meals, sheets, lodging fees, numbers of people to a bed, and feed and stabling of horses. |
Q: Why are some of the streets in Abingdon named such odd names, like Tanner?
| Streets were named after their functions in the old days. For example, Tanner, Court, Brewer and Slaughter streets all are named after businesses located on the streets. "Chinquepin" Alley which crosses Plumb Alley was named after the shrubs growing there since the early days. |
Q: How large was Black's Fort, the fort built for protection from Native American attacks by Joseph Black in 1774 near Abingdon?
| Black's Fort could hold up to 600 people when the settlers gathered in the raiding season. |
Q: Where does Abingdon get its name? Why is it spelled "don" instead of "ton"?
| Abingdon is named in honor of Abingdon Parish, the ancestral home of Martha Washington in England. It still retains the old English spelling. |
Q: Who was the first minister in Abingdon?
| Parson Charles Cummings was the first minister, and he preached for the Sinking Spring Presbyterian congregation. He was known as the "Fightin' Parson," because he carried his rifle to church and leaned it against the pulpit while preaching. His cabin has been preserved and relocated to the Sinking Spring cemetery. |
Q: How important were taverns in Abingdon's history?
| Taverns were very common in town as they met the needs of travelers. Abingdon's prime location on the Wilderness Road made it a favorite stopping point for settlers heading west. In 1782, the town is described by David Campbell, as having a log courthouse across from Dunn's Hotel, a small log jail, and three taverns off the public square. The only remaining building of these is the Tavern, built in 1779 and still used today as a restaurant. |
Q: What did the Barter Theatre building used to be?
| The attractive brick building was constructed in 1832 as a church for the Sinking Spring Presbyterian congregation. It was also been used as a Methodist Church, Temperance Hall during Prohibition, town hall, jail, and professional offices, before becoming the nationally known Barter Theatre. |
Q: What used to be in the green area beside the Martha Washington Inn?
| You can still see the rock walls of the Stonewall Jackson Institute along the sidewalk in front of the Barter Green. The female college was established in 1869 as a seminary school to develop in its pupils the thoroughness, uprightness, and fidelity to duty which characterized the life of Stonewall Jackson. Confederate gray dress uniforms were worn by the students. Primary, intermediate, high school and college classes were offered. Sadly, in 1914, a fire destroyed most of the original college buildings. Only one building remains, now the Barter Playhouse. A new campus was built adjacent to the Johnston Memorial Hospital. The school closed in 1930 and the remaining buildings are used by the Barter Theatre. (see photos in Abingdon, Virginia on p. 58-63) |
Q: What did Abingdon look like in 1835?
| Martin's Gazetteer of Virginia in 1835 describes Abingdon as a town with 150-200 dwelling houses (many of them brick), an academy for females, an academy for males, 2 hotels, 3 taverns for wagoners, 1 flour mill, 9 mercantile houses, 3 groceries, 1 woolen and 2 cotton manufactories, 4 tanyards with saddle and harness manufactories, 10 blacksmith shops, 1 hat manufactory and store, 6 wheelwrights and wagon makers, 2 cabinet warehouses, and 2 boot and shoe manufactories. |
Q: Why is the site of the parking lot behind the Washington County Courthouse on Main Street important historically?
| This lot was once known as Jockey Lot. Many folks came to town on Court Day (the 4th Monday of every month), and the area behind the courthouse was a natural place to sell and buy goods and land and conduct business. Politicians made campaign speeches from the courthouse steps to the crowds. The lot was a convenient place to trade horses and mules in the old days, thus the name Jockey Lot. Imagine Court Day, with people bustling on the streets, the taverns overrun with sober and not-so-sober revelers, and horses being raced down Valley Street. Newspapers even warned "proper ladies" to avoid the Jockey Lot on court days because of the alcohol that was often used to "grease" the equine trade. (for photo see Abingdon, Virginia p.11) |
Q: When was the last steam run of the Virginia & Carolina Railroad through Abingdon?
| The last steam run of the V & C occurred in 1957 through town. In 1856, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad began rail service through town. The rail was critical to Abingdon's success as a trade and commercial Center. Passenger travel by rail allowed students to commute to the Martha Washington College and Stonewall Jackson Institute. The train tracks are still used by Norfolk & Southern, and visitors are welcome at the restored passenger station on Wall Street off West Main Street. The passenger station also houses the excellent research facilities of the Historical Society of Washington County. (for photo see Abingdon, Virginia, p. 23) |
Q: Why did Eleanor Roosevelt visit Abingdon?
| Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived by train in 1933 in Abingdon. The town greeted her with a grand parade, with flags hung over the streets. She was on her way to attend the Whitetop Folk Music Festival in nearby Konnarock. Mrs. Roosevelt had been interested in visiting the beautiful area because her father lived in Abingdon for a time. (for photo see Abingdon, Virginia p. 24) |
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