Historic Downtown Abingdon Walking Tour - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. Fields-Penn House

Completed in 1860, Greek Revival style Fields-Penn House is one of Abingdon’s most recognizable homes and an appropriate representation of the growing middle class during Antebellum society. Constructed by James Fields, a local brick mason and contractor, as the personal residence for his family, the Fields lived in the house during the Civil War and into the late 19th-Century. In 1895, George Edward Penn and his wife Estelle Gilmore Penn purchased the house. For the next 75 years, the Penn family resided in the grand house. In 1971, the Penns sold the house to the Penn House Preservation Foundation who then gave it to the Town of Abingdon. The William King Regional Arts Center operated the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum throughout the 1990s until 2015 when it was closed permanently due to structural damage. The Fields-Penn House was designated a Virginia Landmark on April 15, 1986 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 1986.

2. The Martha Washington Inn & Spa

Now known as the Martha Washington Inn & Spa, this historic hotel is a cornerstone of Abingdon’s history. Constructed by General Francis Preston in 1832 for his family of nine children, this grand Federal style mansion remained in the Preston family until 1858 when it was sold to the trustees of the Martha Washington College. Shortly after opening its doors to students, the Civil War broke out and the newly established college became a hospital and barracks. Many of the women enrolled in the college chose to stay and became nurses, with one of Abingdon’s most famous ghost stories involving one of these student nurses. The Martha Washington College survived the war and continued to function as a women’s college, undergoing two significant alterations that changed the appearance of the building. The college was forced to close its doors in 1932 due the economic struggles during the Great Depression. Three years later it opened as the Martha Washington Inn, and it has continued to serve in this capacity, changing names a few times. The Martha Washington Inn & Spa is a contributing member of the Abingdon Historic District, which was designated a Virginia Landmark on December 2, 1969 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 26, 1970. A major renovation occurred in 1984 to preserve its historic integrity.

3. Barter Theatre

The Barter Theatre is one of Southwest Virginia’s most iconic venues. Located in Abingdon along West Main Street, the theatre has been in operation since 1933. Established by local actor Robert Porterfield during the height of the Great Depression, the theatre was designed to offer local residents a means of entertainment despite not having money to pay for theatre tickets. During that time tickets were 40 cents each, and theatre goers could barter an equivalent amount of goods and other foodstuffs for the price of admission. The Barter Theatre soon became a highly sought-after theatre and was designated Virginia’s official state theatre in 1946. Porterfield served as director until his death in 1971. During its lifetime, many famous actors have performed on the Barter’s stage, such as Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, John Glover, and Larry Linville. The Barter Theatre was designated a Virginia Landmark on December 2, 1969 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 26, 1970.

4. Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church

The Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church traces its roots back to the early 1770s, with the early settlement of Southwest Virginia and contributed to the course of Abingdon’s history. The congregation initially met in a rudimentary log building in the present-day Sinking Spring Cemetery and led by the famous “Fightin’ Parson” Rev. Charles Cummings. Throughout the course of the congregation’s history, it has occupied five different buildings. The current building on E. Main Street that houses the Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church was constructed and dedicated on December 21, 1890. The Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church was designated a Virginia Landmark on December 2, 1969 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 26, 1970.

5. Washington County Courthouse

The historic Washington County Courthouse in Abingdon, VA currently houses the 28th Judicial District Court of Virginia. Since Abingdon's incorporation in 1778, three courthouses have occupied the same spot on Courthouse Hill. The second courthouse fell victim to Union forces under General George Stoneman in 1864 and burned to the ground. Abingdon constructed its third courthouse in 1868, this grand Italianate style building is the only courthouse constructed in Virginia during the Reconstruction Era.

6. Abingdon Bank

The Abingdon Bank building was erected in 1858 for Robert Preston, the first resident cashier of the Exchange Bank of Virginia in Abingdon. The architectural design of this three-story building is unique in that it is a late Greek Revival style with features of the early Victorian Era. Early bank buildings such as this one typically possessed two entrances: one for the bank on the ground level and the other banker’s residence on the second and third stories. Because the bankers were expected to reside in the banks, many of these buildings were designed to resemble domestic residences, such as the Abingdon Bank. Failing after the Civil War, the bank closed and was converted into a residence. The building was extensively restored during the late-1960s. The Abingdon Bank building was designated a Virginia Landmark on May 13, 1969 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1969.

Heralded as the oldest pub in Virginia and the oldest building in Abingdon, The Tavern stands as the historical foundation of the town. Erected in 1779, The Tavern first served as a tavern and stagecoach stop for westward bound travelers. During the next two centuries, the building survived the Civil War, welcomed such visitors as Andrew Jackson and Louis Philippe, future King of France, and changed its function a dozen times. In 1994, Max Hermann opened The Tavern as a restaurant where it continues to provide fine dining in a historical atmosphere.

8. Dr. William H. Pitts House

Constructed in 1854 by Adam Hickman, a local builder and town councilman, the house at 247 E. Main Street is unique among Abingdon’s historic homes. Designed in the popular Greek Revival style of the mid-19th-Century, this house is unique to Abingdon as it one of the few to feature a stucco exterior and stepped parapet gable ends. Dr. William Pitts, a physician and Civil War surgeon, purchased the home from Hickman in 1859 and lent his name to the house. The house has remained privately owned since. The Dr. William H. Pitts House was designated a Virginia Landmark on September 12, 2001 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 1, 2002.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Historic Downtown Abingdon Walking Tour

Created by Kalen Martin-Gross on March 28th 2019, 10:01:44 am.

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Description

The town of Abingdon is the historic hub of Southwest Virginia. Situated at the intersection of two Native American trails, a small settlement of European colonists sprang up during the late-1760s and early 1770s. First known as Wolf Hills and then Blacks Fort, the settlement grew into a full-fledged town, being formally incorporated in 1778 as Abingdon. Abingdon played a pivotal role during the American Revolution, serving as the northern-most mustering location for the Overmountain Men of the Battle of Kings Mountain. After the War of Independence and throughout the mid-1800s, Abingdon prospered and flourished as the administrative center of Washington County and the greater region. Many of Abingdon’s Antebellum buildings remain intact today. However, when the Civil War erupted 1861 most of Abingdon’s able-bodied men joined the Confederate Army and fought in several famous battles, such as Gettysburg and the Seven Days’ Battles. The town also lost its courthouse to Union arson during Stoneman’s Raid in 1864. Following the war and into the modern era, Abingdon became a quaint mountain town with world famous attractions such as the Barter Theatre and the Martha Washington Inn & Spa. The Historic Downtown Abingdon Walking Tour begins with the Fields-Penn House and continues east on Main Street, making stops at the Martha Washington Inn & Spa and the Barter Theatre. The walking tour then makes stops at the Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church and the Washington County Courthouse. The last three stops on the tour are located within the core of Abingdon’s historic district: the Tavern is Virginia’s oldest pub and Abingdon’s oldest building, the Abingdon Bank building, and the unique Dr. William H. Pitts House.

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