Winchester, Harpers Ferry, & Shenandoah

Winchester and Frederick County, Virginia at the top of the Shenandoah Valley, was once Shawnee camping grounds to which Pennsylvania Quakers came to settle in 1732.

Winchester has long been known as the “Apple Capital” surrounded as it is by vast orchards and constituting one of the largest apple export markets of the nation and the largest producing area in Virginia. Each spring Winchester plays host for four days to over 250,000 visitors who converge upon the town to witness the famous Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, usually held the first few days in May. East of Winchester, you’ll find Loudoun, recognized for its location in the wine country of Washington, DC.

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is a historic community at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. Best known for abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War, the lower part of town is located within Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Most of the remainder, which includes the more highly populated area, is included in the separate Harpers Ferry Historic District. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the organization tasked with managing and preserving the AT, maintains its headquarters here.

There are numerous sites related to this area’s significance in both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars including George Washington’s headquarters, the headquarters of Stonewall Jackson, houses of the Revolutionary era, the National Cemetery and many more.

Shenandoah County, in northwestern Virginia, is home to six towns: Strasburg, Toms Brook, Woodstock, Edinburg, Mount Jackson, and New Market. The county includes the communities of Fort Valley and Orkney Springs/Bryce. Shenandoah County is 35 miles long, 10 miles wide, and home to the famous seven bends of the Shenandoah River, the Meems Bottom covered bridge, and the George Washington National Forest. Popular attraction Shenandoah Caverns has been welcoming visitors from around the world since it opened in 1922. The Fort Valley and western slopes of the Massanutten Mountain are located within the county.