Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 05/16/1972
NRHP Listing Date 09/22/1972
NRHP Reference Number 72001416
New Market in Shenandoah County, originally called Cross Roads, is one of western Virginia’s best-preserved historic linear towns. The site was selected by John Sevier, later governor of Tennessee, who established a trading post here in 1761. The village was laid out in 1785, along the Great Road—the wagon route to the south and west—and was named New Market in 1796. Settled both by Germans and Scotch-Irish, New Market prospered to become an active commercial and industrial center by the 1830s, serving travelers on the newly established Valley Turnpike. Growth ceased in the mid-19th century, however, when the town was bypassed by the railroad. Fierce fighting occurred here during the 1864 battle of New Market with townspeople turning out to treat the wounded. Lining the highway is a mixture of 19th-century brick, frame, and log structures. Several of the earlier houses employ German vernacular forms.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: June 17, 2021
