Martha Washington Hotel and Spa Photo courtesy of Mike Fox

The significant collection of 19th century commercial, residential, and public buildings in the downtown Abingdon Historic District illustrate the rich history of the community. Abingdon has been the commercial, transportation, and political center of Washington County since 1778 and was the location of the first courthouse and post office in southwestern Virginia. The community was also a transportation hub because of its location on the Great Valley Road and later the Virginia-Tennessee Railroad. Abingdon was a long-time trading and production center for the tobacco industry as well as the hometown of three Virginia governors and other state and national political figures, lawyers, and judges.

Barter Theatre Photo courtesy of Advance Abingdon

Much of Abingdon’s historic district is located on Main and Valley Streets. Throughout Abingdon’s history, Main Street has contained a variety of both commercial and residential buildings, some dating from the antebellum period. Main Street is also the location of two of Abingdon’s greatest assets, the Barter Theatre (127 West Main Street) and the Martha Washington Hotel and Spa (150 West Main Street). The Barter Theatre is in a building constructed in 1831 as the new location for the Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church. Theatrical performances began in 1876, but the theatre gained popularity during the Great Depression when guests could barter vegetables in exchange for a ticket to a show. Visitors travel great distances today to see a show at the theatre.Constructed in 1832, the middle section of the Martha Washington Hotel and Spa was first the private residence for General Francis Preston and his family. The property later became the Martha Washington College, an upscale institute for young women. The property became an inn in 1935. The Tavern, a restaurant located at 222 East Main Street, was built in 1779. It has always been used as a tavern, and was originally an overnight inn for stagecoach travelers as well. The Abingdon Bank, located at 225 East Main Street, was built in the mid-1840s by Robert Preston, and is an excellent example of 19th century urban architecture. The building includes both Neo-Classical and Victorian details. Main Street is lined with many historic residences, such as the Greek Revival Doctor H. Pitts House at 247 East Main Street that dates from 1854 and James Fields’ home, another Greek Revival, on the corner of Cummings Street. The Cave House, a Victorian mansion at 279 East Main Street, is now home to the Holston Mountain Arts and Crafts Cooperative.

Valley Street represents Abingdon’s residential history. The earliest surviving building on Valley Street is the Alexander Findlay House on the corner of North Church Street. Other 19th century properties on Valley Street include the restored Gabriel Stickley House at 239, and the Daniel Trigg House at 210. Queen Anne style homes from the late 19th and early 20th century can be seen at 132 and 337. The western extent of Valley Street is the site of a number of Bungalow style homes, including the homes at 126, 132, 133, 136, 250, 277, and 289. A fine example of a Colonial Revival style home can be found at 125 Valley Street NW.

Abingdon’s oldest burial ground, Sinking Spring Cemetery, is also on Valley Street at the junction of Russell Road. In use since the early 1770s, the cemetery contains the graves of some of Abingdon’s most prominent residents, including two Virginia governors, legislators, judges, ministers, merchants, early pioneers, and veterans from the Revolutionary to the Korean wars. A small section of the cemetery is dedicated to black citizens, and another area enclosed by a small brick wall was dedicated in 1865 to unknown Confederate dead.

The community of Abingdon began as a land grant to Dr. Thomas Walker in 1752. The Great Valley Road, which led from the Shenandoah Valley to Cumberland Gap, passed through the area encouraging settlement as early as the 1760s. Families settling in the Abingdon area established a log Presbyterian church and the Sinking Spring Cemetery and built a small fort for protection against the Indians in the early 1770s. In 1778, Dr. Walker, Joseph Black, and Samuel Briggs donated 120 acres of land to the county to establish a county seat known as Abingdon, and the town’s two principal streets, Main and Water, were surveyed and laid out in that year.

A Tailor's Lodging Photo courtesy of Advance Abingdon

Abingdon is well-known for its rich political history. Shortly after it was built, Black’s Fort was chosen for the first meeting of the newly established Washington County court. The current Washington County Courthouse dates from1869. Abingdon’s status as the county seat of Washington County attracted many lawyers and judges as residents. Many of these residents would become prominent political figures, including several congressmen and U.S. senators. Three Abingdon residents became governors of Virginia; John B. Floyd (1830-34), Wyndham Robertson (1836), and David Campbell (1837-40).

The community's location on the Great Valley Road and the construction of the Abingdon-Saltville Turnpike in 1803 spurred Abindon's development. Being along these prominent roads established the town’s status as a haven for travelers and a regional trade center. Abingdon merchants controlled much of the trade in southwestern Virginia, and the Abingdon Post Office, the first in the region, distributed all of the mail. The establishment in 1827 of Abingdon’s first newspaper, The Holston Intelligencer and Abingdon Advertizer, and the incorporation of the Abingdon Male Academy, which is now the William King Museum, also furthered Abingdon’s successful development.

The Abingdon Historic District spans Main St. from East to West, includes parts of Valley St. and extends as far south as South Church, East Park, and South Pecan sts. The district extends into the neighborhoods on either side of Main St. Advance Abingdon Main Street Organization is located in the Abingdon CVB Building, Historic Hassinger House, at 335 Cummings St. For more information call 276-698-5667. The Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau is located at 133 W. Main St. in Town Hall. For more information about shopping, dining and events in downtown Abingdon, call the Town of Abingdon, VA at 276-628-3167.

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