SHENANDOAH COUNTY
County Offices
600 North Main Street
Woodstock 540-459-6165
http://shenandoahcountyva.us
Chamber of Commerce
103 South Main Street
Woodstock 540-459-2542
www.shenandoahcountychamber.com
Shenandoah County enjoys the breathtaking beauty of Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountain views in a strategic location along the Interstate 81 corridor just minutes from Interstate 66. Other major thoroughfares serving the area include US Routes 11, 48, and 211. The county also provides easy access to the Virginia Inland Port and Winchester Regional Airport. While the tradition of agricultural activity is still strong in this region, thriving local businesses, tourism, services, manufacturing, and industrial expansion ensure a strong and diversified economy.
Services
Access to state-of-the-art healthcare services begins close to home in the town of Woodstock, home to Shenandoah Memorial Hospital. This full-service 25-bed facility offers 24-hour emergency services and acute care as well as out-patient surgery, cardiopulmonary services, medical imaging, women’s care, diabetes management, rehabilitation therapies, a sleep lab, preventative medicine, health screenings, and wellness programs. Should the need for advanced care arise, Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisburg offers a 218-bed Magnet® hospital that serves a seven-county area with exceptional care and clinical excellence. The medical center offers comprehensive medical, general, and specialized services including a well-staffed, efficient emergency department that treats as many as 200 patients a day. Winchester is home to a regional referral and resource center for a regional population of 400,000. Rated among Virginia’s top five hospitals by US News & World Report, Winchester Medical Center (WMC) is licensed for 455 beds and offers a broad spectrum of services that include diagnostic, medical, surgical, and rehabilitative care. WMC also provides a Level II Trauma Center and a Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
Access to exceptional educational facilities and opportunities are another hallmark of Shenandoah County, beginning with first-rate public and private schools from preschool through 12th grade. Gifted and academically motivated juniors and seniors have the advantage of Massanutten Regional Governor’s School for two-year, half-day programs in mathematics, science, and English. Woodstock is home to Massanutten Military Academy, a coed college-prep school with a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program that is consistently recognized as an Honor Unit with Distinction. Lord Fairfax Community College maintains a campus in Middletown that offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs. Nearby four-year institutions include the private Eastern Mennonite University and James Madison University in Harrisonburg—ranked by US News & World Report as the Number 2 public masters-level university in the South. Private institutions also include Shenandoah University in Winchester and Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, the latter named among the Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Southeast by Princeton Review.
Lifestyle
Recognized as one of Virginia’s most historic and scenic areas, beautiful Shenandoah County is dotted with charming small towns that are known as The String of Pearls for their unique shops, restaurants, galleries, and businesses. Historic structures and sites add to the richness and charm of these friendly communities, including the 1795 Shenandoah County Courthouse—now serving as a museum where visitors can still see graffiti left on its walls by Civil War soldiers. The 1848 Edinburg Mill houses the Shenandoah Valley Cultural Heritage Museum, and Strasburg Museum is housed in a Southern Railway depot. Virginia’s only state-owned Civil War Museum is located in New Market, combining the Virginia Museum of the Civil War with New Market Battlefield State Historical Park and the Historic Bushong Farm. Encompassing part of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail System, the site covers 300 hundred acres of open space and battlefield property. In New Market, the past springs back to life with the transformation of the historic Rouse Opera House into the Schultz Theatre and School of Performing Arts. In addition to two major musical productions each year, the theatre hosts a variety of plays, concerts, dance performances, and improvisational events. Summertime brings the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival in Orkney Springs.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find a four-season paradise in Shenandoah County, including 178 miles of trails through the George Washington National Forest, more than 30 miles of streams, and the rolling Shenandoah River. Camping, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, and fishing are all popular activities. Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive are an easy drive from home, and the Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail beckons exploration with stunning scenery, entertainment, quality restaurants, and award-winning wines. Close to home, the 67-acre Shenandoah County Park offers a wide array of sports fields and courts including volleyball and tennis, a disc golf course, and a walking trail. The Tuscarora Trail passes through the park, connecting the Appalachian Trail with other state trails. Area golf courses including Bryce Resort and Shenvalee Golf Resort offer the finest in championship play. When the snow flies in the high country, Bryce Ski Resort and Massanutten Ski Resort are an easy drive from home, the latter offering a year-round indoor/outdoor waterpark. With its premier recreational opportunities, small-town charm, picturesque countryside, and wide selection of attractive homes, Shenandoah County offers a rare quality of life.
COMMUNITIES
Strasburg
Town Offices
540-465-9197
www.strasburgva.com
Chamber of Commerce
540-465-3187
www.strasburgvachamber.com
Distinguished as the largest town in Shenandoah County, Strasburg welcomes newcomers to the charm of historic architecture that spans more than two centuries. Well known for its pottery, antiques, fine art galleries, Civil War history, and breathtaking views, the community commands vistas of Massanutten Mountain and the Allegheny foothills. The town is surrounded by national forestland and the North Fork Shenandoah River for quick access to outdoor adventure from hiking and mountain biking to canoeing, kayaking, and fishing. Family-friendly access to the river is available at Strasburg Town Park, and the Strasburg River Walk is available for walking and cycling along a scenic path. An early stoneware factory later converted to a railroad depot now houses the Strasburg Museum, a National Historic Landmark that displays pieces spanning the Colonial era through the mid-20th century. The museum also offers period rooms, railroad artifacts and a model railroad, Native American artifacts, and a large collection of Strasburg pottery. Well known for fine antiques and pottery, this quaint town features 12 of the stops along the O’ Shenandoah Artisan Trail.
Mount Jackson
Town Offices
540-477-2121
www.mountjackson.com
Chamber of Commerce
540-459-2542
www.shenandoahcountychamber.com
Offering easy access to Interstate 81, the quaint town of Mount Jackson offers a convenient commute to regional attractions and amenities. The Town of Mount Jackson Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places, showcasing striking examples of early American styles including Victorian, Gothic, American Foursquare, and Colonial Revival. Other historic highlights include a famous vintage bowling alley and Our Soldiers Cemetery—Virginia’s only all-Confederate Civil War cemetery. Appreciation for the arts runs high in Mount Jackson, evidenced by premier venues like the Bowman-Shannon Cultural Arts Center and The Art Group. Residents and civic leaders are committed to preserving the community’s proud heritage and historic richness but they also maintain a progressive attitude toward growth, development, and quality of life. The town is home to the Massanutten Regional Governor’s School as well as local, national and international businesses.
New Market
Town Offices
540-740-3432
www.newmarketvirginia.com
Chamber of Commerce
540-459-2542
www.shenandoahcountychamber.com
New Market welcomes new residents to a warm hometown atmosphere and a recently renovated downtown district graced by the charm of historic architecture. Residents and visitors alike enjoy specialty shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, and a theater. The New Market Farmers Market is another popular attraction with eclectic displays of farm-fresh product, candies, baked goods, dairy items, meat, and hand-crafted items. The town now serves as a cultural hub for the county with the transformation of the historic Rouse Opera House into the Schultz Theatre and School of Performing Arts. Steeped in Civil War history, the New Market area is home to the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and New Market Battlefield Historical Park—the site of the oldest annual battle reenactment in the nation. Less than three miles from these celebrated historic sites, New Market also offers one of the Shenandoah Valley’s finest golf courses at the Shenvalee Golf Resort.
Woodstock
Town Offices
540-459-3621
www.townofwoodstockva.com
Chamber of Commerce
540-459-2542
www.shenandoahcountychamber.com
Serving as the seat of Shenandoah County government, the quaint community of Woodstock is distinguished as the fourth oldest town in Virginia. Two 18th-century houses make up the Woodstock Museum complex in a block of what is locally called “The Old Shenandoah County Courthouse”—the oldest active courthouse west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Residents and visitors alike enjoy strolling along Woodstock’s charming streets lined with eclectic shops for antiques, gourmet food, award-winning wine, and upscale clothing. Other popular attractions include area garden centers, the local farmers market, and the sculptors displayed at Jane’s Garden at the southern end of the historic downtown district. Woodstock’s park system includes sports courts, Little League fields, batting cages, an arboretum and nature sanctuary, wooded trails including one that overlooks Shenandoah River, and a wetland environmental area with observation deck.
