Anthony Hockman, one of Harrisonburg's local builders, designed and built this elaborately ornamented Italianate residence for himself in 1871. An excellent example of the architecturally spirited dwellings of prosperous small towns of the late-19th ... Read More

The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center (BMHC) shares and celebrates the historical and spiritual legacies of Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley. Coming from the same communities in Europe and Pennsylvania, Brethren and Mennonites have... Read More

In 1833, twin brothers Ambrose and Reuben Dallard were born into slavery on the Riverbank plantation, located in present-day Rockingham county. The two brothers remained enslaved with their families until sometime in their late twenties or early thir... Read More

The George Earman house, located within the boundaries of the city of Harrisonburg, is a vivid example of the creativity and sense of ornament found in the carving, joinery, and decorative painting of various early-19th-century Shenandoah Valley farm... Read More

The Hardesty-Higgins House, home to Harrisonburg's first mayor Isaac Hardesty, bears his name and the name of the physician, Henry Higgins, who began construction on the house in 1848. Isaac Hardesty was born in 1795 and became the city's first Mayor... Read More

This stone structure, completed around 1790, is said to be the oldest building in Harrisonburg. It was once believed the house was built in the 1750's and occupied by Thomas Harrison, the town's founder, but recent archaeological research show it may... Read More

Experience downtown Harrisonburg surrounded by beautifully restored 19th and 20th century architecture as you shop, dine, visit museums and peruse art galleries. Take in a show, film or live music at Court Square Theatre. Enjoy walking tours, histori... Read More

Joshua Wilton, a Canadian immigrant, began his life in America in NY around 1850, where he met his life-long business partner, Philo Bradley. Wilton & Bradley moved to what is now Harrisonburg in the 1860's to begin their lives as successful entrepre... Read More

Born enslaved in 1856, Lucy F. Simms went on to receive her degree from Virginia's Hampton Institute, and eventually settled in Harrisonburg to teach over 1,800 students from three generations of families. The Lucy F. Simms School was built soon afte... Read More

Newtown Cemetery is a historic cemetery that sits between East Kelley Street, Sterling Street, and Hill Street. The roughly 4-acre parcel has been the primary burial ground for the city's African American dead since its founding in 1869. Currently, i... Read More

Harrisonburg's Old Town Historic District is a well-preserved neighborhood of late-19th- through mid-20th-century houses. Many of Harrisonburg's prominent families have resided in the district, representing collectively much of the story of the city'... Read More

One of nearly 200 buildings designed by Staunton architect T. J. Collins, the Rockingham County Courthouse in the Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District reveals his mastery of the fashionable Richardsonian Romanesque and Renaissance Revival styles o... Read More

Dedicated on June 6, 1898 by the Turner Ashby Chapter 162 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, this stone monument marks the spot where Confederate General Turner Ashby died in the Battle of Harrisonburg at Chestnut Ridge on June 6, 1862. The ... Read More

General Turner Ashby, in command of Jackson's cavalry, was mortally wounded at this site, now marked with a monument and a small park. His death on June 6, 1862, immediately preceded the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic. Walk to two Civil War ... Read More

You traveled the road-- now learn it's story. The Valley Turnpike Museum, celebrates the history and heritage of today's US Route 11, aka The Valley Turnpike. Once the main thoroughfare throughout the Shenandoah Valley, it aided migration from the no... Read More

Founded in 1995, The Virginia Quilt Museum is the Official Quilt Museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Shenandoah Valley in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Museum promotes a unique blend of art and cultural he... Read More

The Warren-Sipe House was the home of Edward T.H. Warren, a Harrisonburg attorney and descendant of Thomas Harrison, the founder of Harrisonburg. Warren went to war early and fought in most of the famous battles in the East until he was killed at the... Read More

An excellent example of warehouse construction from the early 20th century, the two-story Whitesel Brothers Building, built in 1939 in the city of Harrisonburg, reveals late Depression-era craftsmanship and technology in its brick and woodwork and th... Read More