Shepherdstown, West Virginia, has so much history to offer if one parks a car and gets out to walk. Now then, it will require paying for parking, but at least it is mostly affordable at 25 cents per half hour on the meters, unless you pay online, where they hit you with a 33-cent charge.
But I digress.
There are five cemeteries in the town that carry historical significance for the time period. I was searching the internet a while back and found this great resource for locating burial sites here in Shepherdstown. The people on the list were both soldiers and patriots (those who helped the Continental Army, even before it became the army it would become). Over all our visits, we put in many miles, criss-crossing the town. Studying the town’s history leads to further discussion of the broader history of the colonies in the 1770s. For me, while the boys are not being homeschooled anymore, we still learn while walking and hiking – because these things are rarely taught in school, yet are so important to know.
Last year, we visited the Trinity Church’s Revolutionary War cemetery. The church is no longer a church, but the grave sites remain. It was known as the Old English/Episcopal Cemetery:
It is a beautiful place to visit, and it sits along the street. The cemetery is located along Church Street, between High Street and Old Queen Alley.
This church was also involved in the Civil War, used as a hospital, as nearly all churches in the town were.
Shepherd Burial Ground:
The cemetery is behind gates, and not signed as being open, so we looked from the sidewalk.
This cemetery also holds the Shepherd clan.
Shepherdstown is the oldest town in West Virginia. It was known briefly as Mecklenburg, but it was eventually renamed after him. The town was finally chartered in 1762, though he had acquired his land in 1734 and had platted the town.
A fun fact: Shepherstown is the only town in West Virginia to have a lock on the Potomac River named after it (lock 38). The C&O Towpath trail, which starts in DC, passes by and under the modern Rumsey Bridge, which connects Maryland to WV at Shepherdstown.
This building was built a bit later than the burials.
If you walk the alleyway (Union Alley), you can see the backside of the cemetery quite well. Even my short self found a spot I could see over the wall.
Can one resist daffodils in spring? The alley walk is worth the time.
Fern growing on the ancient wall.
This burial area is next to the church. It is on New Street, between Church and King Streets, 2 blocks off of German Street.The sidewalks in this section range from normal to old bricks, to a section that is multiple feet above the road on grass. Walk at your comfort level, as always.
The Town Run, 6 springs that feed into it, all running downhill to the Potomac River, they cross the town, under fences, under roads. The longest starts at Morgan Grove Park, where it bubbles to the surface under the spring house, which is chilly year-round.
The Lutheran Graveyard:
This cemetery is an orphan; the church moved into town in 1908. It is a quiet place, though right on the train tracks.
Philip Sheetz (yes, of the Sheetz gas station family fame, long before it was a thing) was a well-known gunsmith in his time and was a noted patriot for his work. The family were renkowned for their rifles for a long time.
The Entlers were a local family, steeped in history, all three served in the war.
The stone walls that you see throughout town are a favorite of mine.
The tree is simply beautiful as spring arrives.
It is on German Street, after crossing the train tracks. Park at the old train station and walk.
The Reformed Graveyard:
The church here is well taken care of, and has beautiful stained glass windows; the graveyard is taken care of as well.
It is on German Street, after you cross the train tracks. Park at the old train station and walk. This cemetery has a paved access road to walk, should you desire.
Elmwood Cemetery:
This cemetery is newer than the others and is still in use. It has a memorial for the Bee Line March in 1775. It is also where the Confederate Cemetery is located, after the Battle of Antietam. See here for the post on it. Elmwood is on the way out of town, near Shepherd Middle School along 480/Kearneysville Pike, and is within walking distance of the old town.
A side note: The signs, all dated 2012, were added to the town during its 250th anniversary.
~Sarah