Do you like history and adventure?
So do I!
Who would get up at 2 in the morning and put the ‘pedal to the metal’ and head out into the darkness of night to visit a favorite little town dotted with love and history?
Me.
Abingdon, Virginia (Washington County), is such a neat little town.
Some say that ‘Virginia is for lovers.’ And others enjoy the history and stories of a ‘very old’ place.
My favorite lady friend and I set our sights on Highway 81 South and began our journey of 333 miles to Abington, Virginia, a small town of 8, 330 residents.
Rich in history, legend has it that the famous explorer Daniel Boone named this place initially ‘Wolf Hills’ in 1760 when his hunting dogs were attacked by wolves.
This European settlement was then established in 1774, and Abingdon was incorporated in 1778. Its history dates back to the Revolutionary War, and its days have seen much of this country’s early heritage.
As we traveled the highway south to Abingdon, the darkness of night evaporated, and we observed the Blue Ridge Mountains to our left covered with a blanket of fog from an early morning awakening.
It was a most beautiful sight, and the love and history of Virginia was definitely in the air.
Our first stop in Abingdon was at the ‘The Girl & The Raven‘ restaurant to gather some early morning grub; our waitress, Lindsey, was most courteous and accommodating.
Afterwards we proceeded to the ‘Martha Washington Inn and Spa’ where we stayed. This hotel is a dazzling jewel in the midst of a chain of interesting places and tales.
Our complimentary vehicle parking attendant, Robbie, was most professional and friendly also.
The Inn was built in 1832 as a southern mansion by Gen. Frances Preston, who fought in the war of 1812. He, his wife and nine children lived there early on.
After the Prestons died, the building became the home of an upscale young women’s college and was named in honor of the first lady of our nation and called the Martha Washington College, and more affectionately simply “The Martha.”
The Civil War and Great Depression played havoc with the popular school. Schoolgirls became nurses, and the beautiful grounds became training barracks for the Washington Mounted Rifles.
The Great Depression ultimately took its toll, and the Inn was closed in 1932. In 1934 the Inn was opened to accommodate aspiring actors like Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine and Neal Beatty who acted in plays at the Barter Theater across the street.
The Barter Theater today is known as the longest-running professional resident theater in America. It opened in 1933 proclaiming, “With vegetables you cannot sale, you can buy a good laugh”.
We saw the play “Savannah Sipping Society,” a jolly and funny production, during our visit.
The hotel welcomed guests like Eleanor Roosevelt, President Harry Truman, Lady Bird Johnson, President Jimmy Carter, Elizabeth Taylor and a slew of others.
And during last week, Pete, from Dargan and Sharon, joined that list of famous names above as visitors. Smile!
Another most interesting stop on our visit included The Tavern, which was built in 1779; it’s the oldest of Abingdon’s historic buildings, and one of the oldest buildings west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Tavern was earlier used as an overnight inn and stagecoach stop for travelers. Some of its visitors included Louis Philippe I (King of France), President Andrew Jackson and Pierre Charles L’Enfant (the designer of Washington, D.C.).
The Tavern even served as a hospital for Confederate and Union soldiers and later as a post office.
The restaurant that occupies the Tavern today was opened in 1994, by German-born Max Hermann, who later sold his business to his long-time friend and Abingdon native, Josh Fuller on May 1, 2019.
The Tavern is home to the oldest bar in Virginia and one of the oldest in the United States.
My traveling partner and I had a most delicious meal at the Tavern, and all the employees there treated us as royalty; Allison, our waitress was most courteous, helpful and delightful.
We concluded our visit with a stop at the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center and Marketplace and learned about the Crooked Road; Virginia’s Heritage Bluegrass Music Trail and saw many pieces of history, art and souvenirs that were proudly displayed.
To say it was a great trip would be an understatement.
Virginia, for sure, is for lovers.
And Abingdon is rich in history too.
