The last time we were in Sperryville, we took a detour off the main road. We always like to read the historical markers if we can stop safely. This one reads:
"Laid out by Francis Thornton, Jr., in 1817. Sperryville survives as an upper Piedmont crossroads village. In the early 19th century John Kiger built Conestoga wagons here. By the 1850s, two turnpikes (Thornton's Gap and Sperryville and Rappahannock) intersected here. In 1867, the Smoot family, of Alexandria, built a nearby tannery that closed in 1911. By that time the town boasted four churches, five general stores, one hotel, six mills, numerous shops, a masonic hall, and a population of 350. Sperryville's wooden residences and visual charm have long made it a familiar stop for seasonal tourists to the Blue Ridge Mountains."
The house in your lovely photo reminds me of The Waltons (one of my favourite TV shows) for some reason. I enjoyed reading about the town as well. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDetours are almost always worth while aren't they?
ReplyDeleteSperryville would be an interesting to stop and look round. Thank you for inviting me to join your meme the other day however unfortunately I do not have anymore time to make comments on other peoples entries. This is what I like to do although I know a lot of other blogger so not.
ReplyDeleteThis small place sounds like a nice place to visit.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely Denise, very American with the wooden houses and the sign, and then I started thinking about all the songs I know which mention the Blue Ridge Mountains!
ReplyDeleteRandom is good
ReplyDeleteSix mills? So much? We have only two :-)
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Thank you for sharing.
No pubs :-) ?
ReplyDeleteOur village now: GP gone, policeman gone, shop gone postoffice gone but the pub is still there. They were all still in working order when we came to live here.
Makes one think.
Have you walked [ part of ] the AT?
That so intrigues me.
i have always loved movies that had the connestoga wagons, i do love that house in the background. really interesting reading.
ReplyDeleteRather nice that some of the little villages have survived as little villages.
ReplyDeleteYou must have been on your way to the Blue Ridge Parkway? Amazing how many little towns or Census Designated Places (pop of Sperryville at the last census was below 400) were bypassed by the Interstate highways, if only one takes the time to explore them. Good for you.
ReplyDeleteFrom this shot, it looks like a pleasant area.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it would be a great village to visit. I know what you mean about 'if you can stop to read them safely'. This was such a huge frustration when we pulled our big Fifth-wheel RV all over; as we traveled to a new destinationk we'd see so many markers in places where there wasn't a chance in the world that we could stop and park. (That was before we had smart phones and IPADs -- I'm wondering if nowadays you can probably look them up somewhere maybe).
ReplyDeleteFour churches for 350 people … they must have been pious! The house with the big porch in the distance also seems to have a story to tell.
ReplyDeleteWe stop for historical markers when we have some time. They are often very informative and tell a lot about the history of the area.
ReplyDeleteI love the history that goes with places! Great share!
ReplyDeletelove to check out little places like this.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your random photo posts and agree with you it is so nice to read these historical type markers, and to get off the everyday trail so to speak!
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan