Strasburg was an important focus of early migration in the Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1749, the Shenandoah County town was settled exclusively by Germans, most of whom came from York County, Pa. By the early 19th century, Strasburg prospered as a flour milling center. In the antebellum period it was associated with the manufacture of high grade pottery. The town’s strategic location on the Manassas Gap Railroad and the Valley Turnpike gave Strasburg a pivotal role during the Civil War in Gen. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862. Strasburg was the first town in the western part of Virginia to be served by two railroads. By 1890 it was an important industrial center and home to the region’s largest printing and publishing establishments. The Strasburg Historic District exhibits a rare continuum of architectural styles, periods, and building types spanning two centuries of occupation.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia