An Unexpected Civil War Stop

An Unexpected Civil War Stop

Late Saturday afternoon we rolled into Staunton, Virginia, conveniently located in the heart of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Unbeknownst to me, it was the crowning jewel in this year’s ride. Packed with five – count ‘em, five - National Historic Districts, Staunton is known for its historic architecture and walkable downtown, boasting more than one hundred unique shops, art galleries and restaurants. In 2012,  Smithsonian Magazine named Staunton one of the best small towns in America.

So here we were, fresh off the best ride of the trip, landing in a great town with lots to explore and plenty of daylight left. Staunton, I learned, was the first Virginia community to receive a “Great American Main Street Award” from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The architecture is indeed incredible and I spent almost as much time looking up at the magnificent cornices as I did peeking into storefront windows.

There’s a lot of Civil War history in Staunton too, a perfect coincidence, considering we hadn’t made one Civil War stop on the trip to date. The Virginia Central Railroad provided a vital link between the Shenandoah Valley and eastern Virginia, making Staunton an important Confederate supply depot. And unlike most of the surrounding areas, Staunton and its beautiful 18^th and 19^th century buildings escaped the war unscathed.

Trinity Church, with its historic graveyard, sits atop West Beverly Street. Beyond the iron fence, I spied the crooked limestone headstones scattered through the yard and marched towards the gated entrance. I could hear Jason sighing behind me. The beautiful brick structure features 25 magnificent stained glass windows, including 12 by Tiffany. Jason found a bench and I criss-crossed the yard, taking pictures and straining to read the barely legible headstones, including one that belonged to “Little Lou Lou” the daughter of A.M and L. DuPuy who died on Janaury 31, 1855 at the tender age of 2 years and 5 months.

There’s another cemetery in town – Thornrose Cemetery – the final resting place of more than 1700 Confederate soldiers, most of whom were removed to the yard after the war.  An impressive monument of a soldier, cast iron urns and a limestone retention wall marks the Confederate section of the cemetery.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this cemetery was there until after we were back at our hotel.

After our walking tour of downtown, we settled on the Mill Street Grill for dinner, a hip and classy restaurant housed in a turn-of-the-century flour mill. They boast that their barbequed baby back ribs are the best anywhere. Not one to shy away from a finger licking rib plate, we strolled over to the Mill Street Grill at 8:00, were seated almost immediately and Jason took the challenge.  What had a great experience - terrific staff, awesome ambiance and yep - the best ribs ever!

With so much to explore, we’ve decided another trip to Staunton is definitely in order. And Jason can’t wait for another plate of those baby back ribs!