Newtown-Stephensburg Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Newtown-Stephensburg Historic District is located in the central section of Stephens City, Virginia
along U.S. Route 11
from the far northern to the far southern boundaries of the town and from just east of Green Hill Cemetery to just west of the interchange of State Route 277
and Interstate 81
.
It is a 65 acres (26.3 ha) historic district
that includes 143 contributing buildings and 4 additional contributing sites.
in nearby Middletown, Virginia
.
Peter Stephens son, Lewis Stephens, was the owner of the original 900 acres (3.6 km²) that made up the town of Stephensburgh, as it was called when chartered and founded in September of 1758.
Stephensburgh would become the second oldest town in the Shenandoah Valley
(behind nearby Winchester, Virginia
). Since its beginnings, the town would be a commercial hub along the "Great Philadelphia Wagon Road" (what is now today U.S. Route 11
) and the "Old Dutch Wagon Road" (what is today State Route 277
). Because Routes 11 and 277 were two very heavily traveled arteries through the 19th and 20th centuries, the town's businesses oriented towards transportation from the nationally known "Newtown Wagon" companies for the 1800s to today numerous service centers and eateries.
The historical integrity of the individual buildings and the general townscape that make up this historic area is impressive; little to no new construction has taken place in this area since the early 1940s.
Stephens City, Virginia
Stephens City is an incorporated town in the southern part of Frederick County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 1,829 at the time of the 2010 Census....
along U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
from the far northern to the far southern boundaries of the town and from just east of Green Hill Cemetery to just west of the interchange of State Route 277
Virginia State Route 277
Virginia State Route 277 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Fairfax Pike, the state highway runs from U.S...
and Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
.
It is a 65 acres (26.3 ha) historic district
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
that includes 143 contributing buildings and 4 additional contributing sites.
History
The area that makes up the Newtown-Stephensburg Historic District was originally settled in 1734 by German settler Peter Stephens. Stephens travelled from Pennsylvania with Joist Hite in 1732. Hite's grandson, Issac Hite, Jr. would later build the Belle Grove PlantationCedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park became the 388th unit of the United States National Park Service when it was authorized on December 19, 2002...
in nearby Middletown, Virginia
Middletown, Virginia
Middletown is a town in Frederick County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,265 at the 2010 census.- History :Belle Grove Plantation, about a mile southwest of Middletown, was first settled in about 1750 and its historic Federal-style manor house was completed in 1797...
.
Stephensburgh would become the second oldest town in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
(behind nearby Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
). Since its beginnings, the town would be a commercial hub along the "Great Philadelphia Wagon Road" (what is now today U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
) and the "Old Dutch Wagon Road" (what is today State Route 277
Virginia State Route 277
Virginia State Route 277 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Fairfax Pike, the state highway runs from U.S...
). Because Routes 11 and 277 were two very heavily traveled arteries through the 19th and 20th centuries, the town's businesses oriented towards transportation from the nationally known "Newtown Wagon" companies for the 1800s to today numerous service centers and eateries.
The historical integrity of the individual buildings and the general townscape that make up this historic area is impressive; little to no new construction has taken place in this area since the early 1940s.