German Street and Clock TowerSeveral years ago, my friends and I made another trip to West Virginia. This time, it was to a quaint little town close to the Maryland border and right on the upper reaches of the Potomac River. The town is about 90 miles northwest of Washington, DC so we stopped at Harpers Ferry Historic Site enroute.
Founded in 1762 as “Mecklenburg,” the name was later changed to “Sheperdstown.” It has about the same population as in 1850 (1,800) when the C&O Canal was operating at its peak. It includes a small liberal arts college called Sheperd University (3,000 students.)
We had lunch on the main street at a restaurant located in a former bank. You can still see the huge door to the vault. The area includes 14 sites listed on the National Registry of Historical Places, most of which date from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Former Bank Building
The business district is only a few blocks long, but it has several cute little shops and art galleries. We drove on out to the edge of town to the Bavarian Inn & Resort. It was built to look old, but it is a modern expansion of a mansion. The hotel has a good view of the river. The town also is noted for homes visited by ghosts and the annual Christmas decorations.
Mecklenburg Inn Hotel
Mecklenburg Inn Hotel Courtyard
Old House
Painted Door
Storefronts
ShopsSenator Byrd made sure the state has good roads, so the drive is an easy day trip from DC.
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