The Total Historical Extraction

STAUNTON,
VIRGINIA

A town that nearly appointed a dictator and instead became the birthplace of modern democracy

From the Monacan mounds to the city-manager revolution. From the wilderness to the wrecking ball. An interactive storyboard for an epic miniseries.

The Wilderness The Crucible The Iron Horse The Burning The Reinvention
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Part B

The Five Acts

Divide the entire history into 5 major cinematic arcs with thematic titles, central conflicts, and visual set design.

I
The Wilderness
1732 — 1774
Central Conflict: Survival — Man vs. Nature, European vs. Indigenous, Law vs. Chaos
Protagonists: John Lewis (fugitive Irishman), Thomas Lewis (surveyor), William Beverley (gentry speculator)

Antagonists: Sir Mungo Campbell (backstory), The Monacan People (displaced), The French & Native allies

Inciting Incident: John Lewis's flight from Ireland and arrival in Shenandoah Valley (1732)

Climax: Completion of first brick Trinity Church (1763) — civilization established on displacement

Set Design: Untouched old-growth forest, buffalo trails, Lewis Creek's clear water, Blue Ridge looming like a wall. Log cabins, rough-hewn stockades, woodsmoke, pine resin, wet earth.
II
The Crucible
1775 — 1785
Central Conflict: Liberty — Fighting for freedom while denying it to others; terror of collapse vs. principles of democracy
Protagonists: Thomas Jefferson (fleeing governor), George Nicholas (dictator proposer), Patrick Henry (seconder), Thomas Nelson Jr. (crisis governor)

Antagonists: Banastre Tarleton (British raider), John Claypool (Loyalist rebel), The Assembly itself

Inciting Incident: Tarleton's raid on Charlottesville (June 1781) — government flees across Blue Ridge

Climax: The Dictator Debate at Trinity Church (June 7–23, 1781) — democracy teeters on edge of autocracy

Set Design: Blue Ridge as barrier and sanctuary; Trinity Church's modest brick interior; candle wax, unwashed wool, fear-sweat, gunpowder from distant battles. Pouring rain during the Assembly's flight.
III
The Iron Horse
1800 — 1860
Central Conflict: Industrialization — Railroad brings wealth and connection, but cements the slave economy; progress built on human bondage
Protagonists: Mayor Nicholas Trout (railroad booster), Free Black craftsmen (the one-sixth), The enslaved population (invisible majority)

Antagonists: The slave system itself, The Virginia Central Railroad (engine of destruction)

Inciting Incident: Virginia Central Railroad arrives in Staunton (1854)

Climax: Antebellum peak — American Hotel filled, White Star Mills grinding, Wharf bustling, while enslaved people labor in basements

Set Design: Valley cleared of old-growth; wheat fields and pastures. Greek Revival columns, Federal rowhouses, Italianate warehouses. Coal smoke, wheat dust, horse manure, the perfume of wealth, the sweat of enslaved labor.
IV
The Burning
1861 — 1865
Central Conflict: Destruction — The railroad that built the city makes it a target; the Confederacy's "Breadbasket" becomes a battlefield
Protagonists: General David Hunter (Union destroyer), Joseph Waddell (diarist), The women of Staunton, The enslaved who become free

Antagonists: Hunter's "Scorched Earth," The Confederate government (absent authority), The war itself

Inciting Incident: Battle of Piedmont (June 5, 1864) — Confederate defense collapses

Climax: Hunter's occupation and destruction (June 6–10, 1864) — railroad station burning, woolen mill collapsing, city left in ruins

Set Design: Scorched earth; Valley Pike churned by marching boots; burning warehouses; American Hotel as Hunter's HQ; Virginia School for Deaf and Blind filled with wounded. Burning wool, scorched iron, copper scent of blood, gangrene.
V
The Reinvention
1865 — 2026
Central Conflict: Reinvention — Rebuilding from ashes, then nearly destroying oneself through "progress"; the fight to preserve memory
Protagonists: Charles E. Ashburner (first city manager), Historic Staunton Foundation (1971), Irene Givens (Montgomery Hall Park), The preservationists of the 1970s

Antagonists: Urban Renewal, The shopping mall, The wrecking ball

Inciting Incident: 1908 City-Manager Reform — Staunton redefines American municipal governance

Climax: 1971 founding of Historic Staunton Foundation — citizens choose preservation over demolition

Set Design: Same valley, now crisscrossed by Interstate 81. Victorian brick restored; Wharf warehouses converted to restaurants. Coffee from Crucible, wine from Ox-Eye. The 2020 floods reminding the city that water always wins.
Part A

The Chronological Milestone Timeline

A meticulously detailed vertical timeline from 1732 to 2026. Each major event includes a Visual Scene Cue for cinematography.

1732
John Lewis builds Fort Lewis — first European settlement in the region
Mud-splattered boots of Lewis stepping onto the creek bank at dawn, axe in hand, surveying the untouched valley; smoke rising from the first chimney
Lewis Creek, 2 miles east of present Staunton
1736
Governor Gooch approves 118,491-acre grant to William Beverley — "the most profitable surveying error of the era"
A quill pen scratching across parchment; surveyor Robert Brooke's compass glinting in sunlight; the ink bleeding across a map twice as large as authorized
Colonial Secretary's Office, Williamsburg
1745
First court of Augusta County commissioned; Beverley's log courthouse built
A rough-hewn log structure with a dirt floor; frontier families in homespun clothing waiting for justice; the first gavel fall echoing in the wilderness
Beverley's Mill Place
1746–48
Thomas Lewis lays out town plat; "Staunton" named for Lady Rebecca Staunton
Surveying chains stretching across meadowland; the first church bell casting its sound over empty fields; the word "Staunton" appearing on official documents
Thomas Lewis's surveyor's table
1763
First brick Trinity Church completed (25 x 40 feet)
Bricklayers raising walls; the first permanent house of God in the wilderness; civilization's anchor
Trinity Church site, 214 W. Beverley St.
1781, May
Tarleton's raids force Virginia Assembly to flee Richmond, then Charlottesville
Hoofbeats in the night; Jack Jouett's desperate ride; Jefferson escaping to Poplar Forest
Charlottesville to the Blue Ridge
1781, June 7
Virginia Assembly reconvenes at Trinity Church, Staunton
Worn boots on church floorboards; the Assembly huddled in the wilderness church; rain on the roof
Trinity Episcopal Church, 214 W. Beverley St.
1781, June 7–23
THE DICTATOR DEBATE: George Nicholas proposes dictator; Patrick Henry seconds; Assembly rejects and elects Thomas Nelson Jr.
Flickering candlelight on desperate faces; Nicholas's voice rising in the nave; the word "dictator" hanging in the air like smoke; the vote that saved democracy
Trinity Church nave, 214 W. Beverley St.
1781, Spring
Claypool's Rebellion: Tax revolt; Loyalist uprising; Morgan's suppression
Musket smoke in mountain hollows; Claypool's men toasting King George; the noose around a prisoner's neck; Claypool's handwritten apology: "I am hartily Sorry"
Hampshire County (present-day WV)
1854
Virginia Central Railroad arrives in Staunton
Steam whistle shattering the valley silence; the first train's cowcatcher pushing through mountain mist; Mayor Nicholas Trout greasing the rails
Staunton Depot, Wharf District
1855
Present Trinity Church built by English architect J.W. Johns; American Hotel constructed at depot
Gothic Revival spires piercing the sky; the railroad bringing the world to Staunton's doorstep
214 W. Beverley St. & Wharf District
1861, April 17
100 citizens depart for Harper's Ferry under John D. Imboden
Men in gray boarding trains; women waving handkerchiefs; the beginning of the end
Staunton Depot
1864, June 5
Battle of Piedmont; Confederate General William "Grumble" Jones killed
Smoke over the battlefield; the Confederate defense of the Valley collapsing
Piedmont battlefield
1864, June 6
General David Hunter occupies Staunton
Blue uniforms marching down Beverley Street; the Stars and Stripes over the Virginia Hotel
Staunton streets, Virginia Hotel on New Street
1864, June 7–10
Hunter systematically destroys railroad depots, woolen mill, warehouses, newspaper office
Flames consuming the American Hotel's neighbor; the woolen mill's timbers crashing; the smell of revenge
Railroad station, woolen mill, warehouses, Wharf District
1865, March 23
Wind collapses hospital wash house; four children buried, two die in fire
Screams in the storm; the war's final cruelty visited upon the innocent
General Hospital grounds, VSDB
1908
Staunton adopts city-manager government — FIRST IN THE NATION
A new organizational chart; the separation of politics from administration; a revolution in municipal governance
Staunton City Hall
1946
Montgomery Hall Park dedicated for African American use; segregated until 1969
"Colored Only" signs; Black families traveling miles for a single day of recreation; Irene Givens leading the park committee for 25 years
Montgomery Hall Park
1960s–70s
Urban Renewal demolishes 32+ historic structures; 30+ buildings on August Street alone
Wrecking balls swinging; historic brick reduced to rubble; parking lots replacing neighborhoods; displacement and loss
Downtown Staunton; August Street; African American neighborhoods
1971
Historic Staunton Foundation founded; preservation movement begins
Citizens linking arms in front of bulldozers; the fight for the city's soul
Various downtown locations
2020
Two historic floods within one month devastate families and businesses
Water rising again; the city's ancient creek infrastructure overwhelmed; the creeks that built the city still define its geography
Lewis Creek, Peyton Creek, downtown
The Crucible

The Dictator Debate — June 7–23, 1781

At Trinity Episcopal Church (214 W. Beverley St.), the Virginia General Assembly — fleeing British raiders — debated whether to appoint George Washington or Nathanael Greene as dictator. The motion by George Nicholas, seconded by Patrick Henry, was rejected. The Assembly instead elected General Thomas Nelson Jr. as governor on June 12, 1781.

"The emergency called for a union of the civil and military power in the same hands." — Thomas Jefferson
The Windsor chair from this meeting is on display in St. Columba's Chapel at Trinity Church. The church still stands. The Blue Ridge still offers sanctuary.

Exact Location: Trinity Episcopal Church, 214 W. Beverley St., Staunton, VA 24401
Coordinates: 38°8′55″N 79°4′31″W
NRHP Listing: 1972 | Current Status: Active Episcopal church, self-guided tours available

The Burning

Hunter's Occupation — June 6–10, 1864

After defeating Confederate General William "Grumble" Jones at Piedmont (June 5), Union Major General David Hunter marched into Staunton with approximately 18,000 men. His combined force included General George Crook's Army of West Virginia. Hunter systematically destroyed everything of military value.

Destroyed

  • Railroad station and depots
  • Woolen mill
  • Storehouses and military workshops
  • Foundries and factories
  • Stables
  • One newspaper office

Hunter's Report

"Large quantities of commissary and ordnance stores were destroyed or distributed among the troops. All the railroad bridges and depots, and public workshops and factories in the town and vicinity, were all destroyed."

Civilian Experience

"If we were not so used to it, the sight of the multitudes of wounded and suffering soldiers constantly arriving, would be shocking..." — Joseph Waddell, September 1862

Hunter's Headquarters: Virginia Hotel on New Street
Key Street: Middlebrook Avenue (Wharf District) — site of warehouses and depots
Modern Echo: The C&O Station (1902) is the third station on the site; Wharf warehouses now house restaurants and breweries

Part C

The Modern Storyboard Grid

A structured list for digital storyboard or interactive web page. Columns: Time Period, Location, Historical Micro-Event, Human Emotion/Risk, Visual Art Direction, Modern Day Hook.

Time
Location
Micro-Event
Emotion/Risk
Visual Art Direction
Modern Hook
1732
Lewis Creek, 2 mi E of Staunton
John Lewis builds Fort Lewis
Desperate hope; the fugitive starting over
Deep forest greens, earth browns, blue-gray winter creeks. Dawn breaking through mountain mist. Axe strikes, creek water, silence.
The stone section of Fort Lewis still stands; Lewis Creek still flows; the iron fence around Lewis's grave.
1736
Williamsburg
The Beverley Grant — 118,491 acres (double the authorized amount)
Greed disguised as bureaucracy; the ink of empire
Parchment yellows, sealing-wax reds, ink blacks. Candlelight on faces in a council room. Quill scratching, murmured negotiations.
The Beverley Historic District still follows the original street plan; Beverley Manor encompasses modern Staunton.
1745
Beverley's Mill Place
First log courthouse; first court session
The imposition of law on wilderness; the first gavel
Raw wood, mud, the blue of colonial coats. Firelight through chinks in log walls. Gavel, creek water, distant wolves.
The site of five successive courthouses; the legal heart of the frontier.
1747–48
Surveyor's table
Town plat laid out; "Staunton" named for Lady Rebecca Staunton
Order from chaos; geometry conquering wilderness
Ink blue, parchment, the green of meadowland. Natural light on a surveyor's table. Chains rattling, compass clicks.
The grid pattern of Beverley, Frederick, Johnson, Augusta, Water, and Lewis streets still exists.
1756
Fort Lewis
French and Indian War; stockade constructed
Terror on the frontier; the wilderness striking back
Gunmetal gray, fire orange, blood red. Flames from burning cabins. War whoops, musket fire, screams.
The stockade is gone, but the stone house remains; the memory of frontier terror.
1763
Trinity Church site, 214 W. Beverley St.
First brick church completed (25 x 40 ft)
Civilization's anchor in the wilderness; faith made permanent
Brick red, mortar gray, stained glass (later). Sunlight through unglazed windows. First organ, voices in hymn.
The current Trinity Church stands on the same site; the 1763 building's bricks were reused in the 1830 church.
1781, June 7
Trinity Church, 214 W. Beverley St.
Virginia Assembly reconvenes after fleeing Tarleton
Abject terror; the government in flight; the wilderness as refuge
Rain-gray, candle-yellow, the blue of exhausted coats. Storm-light through windows. Pouring rain, shuffling papers, frightened whispers.
The Windsor chair from this meeting is on display; the church still stands; the Blue Ridge still offers sanctuary.
1781, June 7–23
Trinity Church nave, 214 W. Beverley St.
THE DICTATOR DEBATE: Nicholas proposes; Henry seconds; Assembly rejects
The weight of a collapsing nation on their shoulders; the temptation of autocracy; the choice of democracy
Flickering candlelight, desperate faces, the black of clerical coats. Single candles casting long shadows. Rising voices, the rain outside, the silence after the vote.
The church displays the Windsor chair; the paradox of a democratic body nearly appointing a dictator.
1781, Spring
Hampshire County (present-day WV)
Claypool's Rebellion: Tax revolt; Loyalist uprising; Morgan's suppression
The internal fracture; the war's burden breaking men; the "ignorant hillbillies" defense
Mountain greens, musket smoke, the red of British toast. Campfire light in mountain hollows. Muskets, drunken toasts, the rattle of chains.
The petition for pardon survives in archives; the rebellion's leaders are buried in forgotten graves.
1854
Staunton Depot, Wharf District
Virginia Central Railroad arrives
The shock of the new; the old world ending; the future arriving on steel wheels
Iron black, steam white, the gold of prosperity. The first train emerging from mountain mist at dawn. Steam whistle, cheering crowds, the clank of coupling.
The C&O Station (1902) still operates; the Wharf District warehouses are now restaurants and shops.
1861, April 17
Staunton Depot
100 citizens depart for Harper's Ferry under Imboden
The excitement and terror of war's beginning; the innocence of departure
Confederate gray, spring green, the blue of women's dresses. Morning light on the platform. Train whistle, marching boots, weeping.
The depot site is now the Wharf District; the Virginia Hotel where Hunter stayed is gone.
1862–1864
VSDB, 235 W. Frederick St.
Converted to military hospital; wounded from Antietam, Gettysburg
The suffering of war; the conversion of education to triage; the smell of death
Bandage white, blood red, the gray of Confederate uniforms. Oil lamps in ward windows. Moaning, sawbones at work, train whistles bringing more wounded.
The VSDB still operates; the building that was a hospital still stands.
1864, June 5
Piedmont battlefield
Battle of Piedmont; "Grumble" Jones killed
The end of Confederate defense; the valley open to invasion
Smoke gray, blood red, the brown of churned earth. Battle-smoke obscuring the sun. Cannon, muskets, the silence after.
The battlefield is marked; the road to Staunton lay open.
1864, June 6
Staunton streets; Virginia Hotel, New St.
Hunter's army enters Staunton
The occupation; the fear of the unknown; blue uniforms in gray streets
Union blue, Confederate gray, the ash of defeat. Harsh midday sun on occupying troops. Marching boots, silence from civilians, dogs barking.
The Virginia Hotel site is near the modern depot; the streets are the same.
1864, June 7–10
Railroad station, woolen mill, warehouses, Wharf District
Hunter systematically destroys railroad depots, woolen mill, warehouses, newspaper office
The deliberate burning of a city's livelihood; the smell of revenge
Fire orange, smoke black, the red of brick crumbling. Flames reflected in windows. Burning timbers crashing, women weeping, soldiers cheering.
The Wharf District was rebuilt; the current C&O Station is the third on the site.
1865, March 23
General Hospital grounds, VSDB
Wind collapses wash house; four children buried and burned
The war's final cruelty; the innocent victims of chaos
Storm gray, fire red, the white of bandages. Lightning flash. Wind, screaming, the crack of fire.
The VSDB grounds; the memory of children lost to a war they didn't choose.
1908
Staunton City Hall
Adoption of city-manager government — FIRST IN THE NATION
The Progressive Era's faith in expertise; the rejection of machine politics
Office browns, document whites, the gold of reform. Electric light (new). Typewriters, the gavel of change, murmurs of opposition.
Over 3,700 cities now use this system; Staunton's innovation changed American governance.
1946
Montgomery Hall Park
Park dedicated for African American use; segregated until 1969
The paradox of "separate but equal"; the dignity of Irene Givens and her community
Green parkland, the brown of "Colored Only" signs, the blue of Sunday dresses. Summer sunlight. Children playing, gospel music, the distant sound of the white park.
The park is now integrated; the Irene Givens Administration Building honors her; annual Juneteenth celebrations.
1960s–1970s
Downtown Staunton; August Street; African American neighborhoods
Urban Renewal demolishes 32+ historic structures; 30+ buildings on August Street alone
The betrayal of "progress"; the destruction of community; the wrecking ball as symbol
Concrete gray, dust brown, the blue of sky over empty lots. Harsh demolition-site lighting. Wrecking ball crashes, protest chants, the silence of displacement.
The empty lots remain; the photographs in Historic Staunton Foundation archives; the scars still visible.
1971
Various downtown locations
Historic Staunton Foundation founded; preservation movement begins
The citizen's revolt against the planners; the belief that old buildings matter
Brick red, protest-sign colors, the green of hope. The dawn of a new movement. Organizing meetings, the click of cameras documenting what remained, the first hammers of renovation.
Six historic districts now recognized; West Beverly Street named one of America's Great Streets (2013); $50 million in private investment since 2000.
2020
Lewis Creek, Peyton Creek, downtown
Two historic floods within one month
The ancient infrastructure overwhelmed; water reclaiming its paths
Flood brown, emergency red, the gray of sky. Flashlight beams in darkened streets. Rushing water, sirens, the silence after.
The city rebuilds again; the creeks that built the city still define its geography.
Part D

The Forgotten Voices & Paradoxes

A section dedicated entirely to the overlooked history: the enslaved populations, the women managing farms during the wars, the indigenous displacement, and the Loyalist minority.

The Enslaved Population

The Invisible Majority: In 1830, only about one-sixth of Staunton's African American population was free. The 1850 census recorded the enslaved population of Virginia but did not break down Staunton specifically. What is known: enslaved people built the first infrastructure, worked the mills, served in the homes, and were the economic foundation of the "boom."

The Free Black Craftsmen: Those who were free worked as blacksmiths, shoemakers, and other trades — a small middle class in a slave society.

The Wilson Manse: Woodrow Wilson's birthplace employed enslaved people. The museum now offers a special tour about the lives of the enslaved who lived and worked there.

The Emancipation Paradox: Staunton's enslaved were freed by the very destruction (Hunter's raid) that ruined the city's economy. The 13th Amendment arrived in a city of ashes.

"The enslaved built the prosperity that the railroad brought, and the railroad brought the destruction that freed them."

The Women

The Frontier Wives: Margaret Lynn Lewis and the women of the first settlements managed farms while men surveyed and fought.

The War Nurses: During the Civil War, Staunton women nursed wounded soldiers in the VSDB hospital and in makeshift wards throughout the city.

The Refugees: Women and children fled Staunton during Hunter's occupation, becoming refugees in their own valley.

Irene Givens: Led the Montgomery Hall Park committee for 25 years, preserving a space for Black recreation during segregation. The Irene Givens Administration Building now honors her legacy.

"If we were not so used to it, the sight of the multitudes of wounded and suffering soldiers constantly arriving, would be shocking..." — Joseph Waddell, September 1862

The Indigenous Displacement

The Monacan Mounds: Thirteen sacred mounds, some over 1,000 years old, dot the Blue Ridge and Piedmont. Thomas Jefferson excavated one, finding "numerous graves inside."

The Trail That Built the City: The Great Warriors' Trail, created by Native American travel over buffalo paths, became the Great Wagon Road, which brought the settlers who displaced the Monacans.

The 1924 Racial Integrity Act: The Monacans, like all Virginia Indians, were legally erased by legislation that defined "white" as having no trace of African ancestry and all others as "colored." The law accommodated Pocahontas descendants but erased living Monacans.

"The Monacans buried their dead in sacred earthen mounds — thirteen such mounds have been found throughout the Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions, some over 1,000 years old."

The Loyalist Minority

John Claypool: A successful landowner, community leader, and "honorable man of principle" who led a tax revolt against the Revolutionary government. His rebellion was suppressed by militia; he wrote a letter of apology begging pardon.

The German Settlers: Many of Claypool's followers were German settlers who were "confused by the actions of English-speaking Patriots and less ready to reject a King who had allowed them liberty and security never dreamt of in their native land."

The Petition: Claypool and his co-conspirators used a "we're just ignorant hillbillies" defense — eloquently written — begging for pardon to save their "innocent wives and children from ruin and misery."

"I am hartily Sorry for what I have done and beg you will be so good as to pardon me." — John Claypool, May 31, 1781
Part D (continued)

The Paradoxes

Highlight the contradictions: a town that pioneered progressive government reform but was built on slave labor; a town that nearly appointed a dictator but prides itself on local democratic rule.

1

The Dictator and Democracy

A town that nearly appointed a dictator in 1781 now prides itself on local democratic rule. The same church where the Assembly debated autocracy is now a symbol of civic continuity. The Windsor chair from that debate sits in St. Columba's Chapel as a reminder of the moment democracy nearly died.

2

Progressive Reform on a Foundation of Slavery

Staunton pioneered the city-manager form of government (1908) — a Progressive Era reform — but that government managed a city built by enslaved labor and maintained segregation. The same city that professionalized municipal administration excluded its Black citizens from full participation until 1969.

3

The Railroad That Built and Destroyed

The Virginia Central Railroad made Staunton an economic powerhouse (1854) and then made it a military target (1864). The same tracks that brought prosperity brought destruction. The same depot that welcomed travelers became the first thing Hunter burned.

4

Preservation Through Destruction

The Historic Staunton Foundation saved the city by preventing its destruction — but the city had to be nearly destroyed by urban renewal before citizens fought back. Over 32 historic structures were demolished by 1966 before the preservation movement took root.

5

The Sacred and the Profane

Trinity Church served as both a house of God and a seat of government; it hosted the dictator debate and later served as a classroom during the Civil War. The sacred space was always also a political space. The church that hosted the Assembly's flight from tyranny also hosted the debate about appointing a dictator.

6

The Memory of the Oppressed

The city remembers Woodrow Wilson (born 1856, left as an infant) with a museum and presidential library, while the enslaved people who built the manse are only recently receiving dedicated interpretation. The president who left as a baby is honored more than the people who built his birthplace.

Location Guide

Historic Staunton — Key Sites

Exact addresses and coordinates for location scouting, filming, and historical research.

Trinity Episcopal Church

214 W. Beverley St., Staunton, VA 24401

Site of the 1781 Dictator Debate. Founded 1746. Current building 1855 (Gothic Revival, J.W. Johns). NRHP 1972. 12 Tiffany windows. Windsor chair from Assembly meeting on display. Self-guided tours available.

Woodrow Wilson Birthplace (The Manse)

N. Coalter St. between Beverly and Frederick Sts.

Greek Revival manse built 1846. Wilson born December 28, 1856. Family left 1858. Acquired by foundation 1938. FDR dedicated museum 1941. NRHP 1966 (National Historic Landmark). Gospel Hill Historic District.

Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind

235 W. Frederick St., Staunton, VA

Completed 1846. Baltimore architect Robert Cary Long. One of Virginia's most important Greek Revival buildings. Converted to military hospital during Civil War. Wind collapsed wash house March 23, 1865, killing two children. Still operates today.

C&O Train Station

Middlebrook Ave., Wharf Historic District

Third station on site (1902, Bungalow style). First station destroyed during Civil War; second destroyed by runaway train 1890. Still serves Amtrak. Wharf District warehouses now restaurants, breweries, boutiques.

Augusta County Courthouse

1 E. Johnson St., Staunton, VA

Site of five successive courthouses since 1745. First was Beverley's log courthouse. Current building listed NRHP 1982. The legal heart of the frontier since the wilderness era.

Stuart House

120 Church St., Staunton, VA

Early Classical Revival home with Jeffersonian elements. NRHP 1972. Located in Newtown Historic District. Represents the architectural transition from colonial to federal styles.

Old Main (Stuart Hall)

235 W. Frederick St., Staunton, VA

Greek Revival, built 1846 by Edwin Taylor. Listed NRHP 1974. One of the finest examples of antebellum institutional architecture in the Valley.

Western State Hospital Complex

Junction of U.S. Routes 11 and 250; 301 Greenville Ave.

Founded 1825 as Western Lunatic Asylum. Architect Thomas Blackburn, builder William B. Phillips (also worked on UVA with Jefferson). One of best-preserved assemblages of early institutional architecture in the U.S. Converted to prison 1970s–1990s. Now being redeveloped. NRHP 1969.

Montgomery Hall Park

Staunton, VA

Dedicated 1946 as one of only two Virginia parks for African American use. Segregated until 1969. Irene Givens led park committee for 25 years. Now integrated. Irene Givens Administration Building honors her. Annual Juneteenth celebrations.

Fort Lewis Site

Lewis Creek, 2 miles east of present Staunton

John Lewis's fortified home, built 1732. Stone section still visible — considered oldest structure in Augusta County. Lewis's grave nearby, surrounded by iron picket fence. The beginning of European settlement in the region.