A history of Harrisonburg,
since 1779
Postcards, papers and photographs of Harrisonburg from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The earliest documented English exploration of the area prior to settlement was the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition, led by Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood, who reached Elkton, and whose rangers continued and in 1716 likely passed through what is now Harrisonburg.
Harrisonburg, previously known as "Rocktown," was named for Thomas Harrison, a son of English settlers and member of the Harrison family of Virginia. In 1737, Harrison settled in the Shenandoah Valley, eventually laying claim to over 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) situated at the intersection of the Spotswood Trail and the main Native American road through the valley.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Timeline
built from the dates on the items belowFinish Harrisonburg’s story
Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.
3 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewBirdseye view of Harrisonburg, Va, 1907: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Harrisonburg, decade by decade
CommonsAsheville Post Card Co. 34 (49634) - Bond Memorial Gateway,…1930s · postcard
CommonsAsheville Post Card Co. 34 (49634) - Bond Memorial Gateway,…1930s · postcard
CommonsAsheville Post Card Co. H20 (46761) - Senior Hall, Madison …1930s · postcard
CommonsAsheville Post Card Co. H20 (46761) - Senior Hall, Madison …1930s · postcard
Commons106 North Liberty Street (House), Harrisonburg19331960s
1990s
15 historic places in Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg has 15 listings on the National Register, and they protect 409 historic buildings, because Old Town Historic District alone counts 387.
Where they are
Architectural styles
When they were listed
Listed 1973Thomas Harrison House
Listed 1979Joshua Wilton House
Listed 1982Anthony Hockman House
Listed 1982George Earman House
Listed 1982Rockinghan County Courthouse
Listed 1985Inglewood
Listed 2004Simms, Lucy F., School
Listed 2005Whitesel Brothers
Listed 2008Old Town Historic District
Listed 2015Newtown Cemetery
Listed 2017Turner Ashby Monument
Listed 2018Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Listed 2018United States Post Office and Court HouseListed 2017Bethel AME Church and Dallard-Newman House Historic DistrictListed 2024Ida Mae Francis Tourist HomeThen & now
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Birdseye view of Harrisonburg, Va (1907) and it appears here side by side.
🔁 Retake this view · +15Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (11) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.