Both sides of Main St. between Cummings and Deadmore Sts.; Roughly bounded by Russell Rd. and Jackson St., Whites Mill Rd., E. Main and E. Park and W. Main Sts., and Academy Dr., Abingdon, Virginia
Sinking Spring Cemetery, a contributing property to the district
Abingdon Historic District is a national historic district located at Abingdon, Washington County, Virginia. The district encompasses 145 contributing buildings, 2 contributing site, and 13 contributing structures in the town of Abingdon. It includes a variety of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings dating from the late-18th century to the mid-20th century. Notable contributing resources include Sinking Spring Cemetery, William King High School (1913), General Francis Preston House (1832), Martha Washington Inn, Barter Theatre, the Virginia House, Alexander Findlay House (1827), Gabriel Stickley House (c. 1830), Ann Berry House (c. 1830), Washington County Courthouse (1868), Rev. Charles Cummings House (c. 1773), and James Fields House (1857). Located in the district and separately listed are the Abingdon Bank and Dr. William H. Pitts House.[3][4][5][6]
Three earlier courthouses stood on this site, the first constructed in 1800. Present building replaced previous that was burned during the Civil War.[7]
In 1971, the Penn family sold the home to the Penn House Preservation Foundation, which later conveyed it to the Town of Abingdon. The William King Regional Arts Center managed the home beginning in 1995. Today, the Fields-Penn 1860 House museum is operated by the Town of Abingdon[8]
The Tavern
222 E. Main St.
1779
This is the oldest building in Abingdon. During the past two centuries, The Tavern has served as a tavern, bank, bakery, general store, cabinet shop, barber shop, private residence, post office, antique shop and restaurant. It also served as a hospital for wounded Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War.[9]
First located at the Sinking Spring Cemetery in the early 1700s, the first Presbyterian Church was a log structure. The congregation was moved to what is now known as the Barter Theater in 1833. In 1837 the church divided, and one group moved to the present location[10]
The earliest theatrical event known to occur here was a production of the Virginian on January 14, 1876. In 1890, the Sons of Temperance transferred the building's title to the Town of Abingdon, to be used as a town hall for the benefit of the citizenry. It opened as a theater on June 10, 1933. It is one of the longest-running professional theaters in the nation.In 1933, when the country was in the middle of the Great Depression, most patrons were not able to pay the full ticket price. Robert Porterfield, founder of the theatre, offered admission by letting the local people pay with food goods, hence the name "Barter".[11]
It was built as a private residence for General Francis Preston and Sarah Buchanan Preston and their nine children. The original brick residence still comprises the central structure of The Martha Washington Hotel and the original living room of the Preston family is now the main lobby of the hotel. In 1858 the Preston family home was purchased for the mansion to become an upscale college for young women. The school was named Martha Washington College. The college operated for over 70 years through the years of the Civil War and the Great Depression. During the Civil War the grounds became training barracks for the Washington Mounted Rifles. Union and Confederate troops were involved in frequent skirmishes in and around Abingdon with the College serving as a makeshift hospital for the wounded, both Confederate and Union. The Martha was closed in 1932. In 1935, The Martha Washington opened as a hotel[12]
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