17 Jun Historic Main Street, Abingdon Virginia
Today’s virtual visit, we are exploring downtown Abingdon Virginia and its historic main street. We start off at the Virginia Creeper Trail Head and Welcome Center and then proceed to explore the history, shopping and dining, and outdoor recreation.
Abingdon is well known for iconic locations such as The Martha Washington Inn and Spa, The Barter Theatre, and The Tavern. The town is full of rich history, ghost stories, and small-town charm. There is a plethora of places to eat, shop, stay, and explore.
The Martha Washington Inn
Originally built in 1832 at a private residence for General Preston, his wife Sarah, and their nine children. Later, the residence was purchased to become a women’s college. To honor the nation’s first lady, it was named “Martha Washington College”. The college operated for over 70 years and during the Civil War. During the great depression, the college was forced to close its doors in 1932. Just three years later in 1935, the Martha reopened as a hotel, which still acts as today.
The Martha Washington Inn is a great location to stay in Abingdon if you’re looking for rich history, luxury, and many amenities. The Inn features dining, a spa, a pool, and their own shuttle service to the Virginia Creeper Trail.
The Barter Theatre
The Barter Theatre opened its doors in June of 1933. Unique to many businesses at the time, the Barter would literally allow patrons to barter goods in exchange for a ticket. Patrons could also purchase a ticket at the cost of forty cents. Prior to this timing, the Barter had been used for other ventures in previous years. Some of these uses included a theatre as early as 1876. A town hall around 1890 as well as some uses by the town as a fire hall.
Today, however, the Barter Theatre is solely used as a performance theatre.
Self Guided Historic Tour
Although we could go on about more locations in Abingdon, we highly recommend taking your own self guided historic tour! Abingdon has provided a link where you can download or print your own brochure, or when open, you can pick one up from the visitor center. This tour will take you deep into Abingdon’s rich history, architecture, and even some ghost stories!
To learn more about Abingdon, Virginia, please visit their website!
*Featured image of the Barter Theatre provided by Virginia Tourism, Virginia is for Lovers.