Many of summer’s biggest celebrations take place around Independence Day, especially this year as the country turns 250. However, the Shenandoah Valley has always been shaped by independent spirits, from the area’s earliest settlers carving out an existence on the frontier to generations of innovative thinkers, including our modern farm-brewery entrepreneurs. Raise your glass to our history of independence and heritage as you explore these important sites along the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail.
Independence: New Innovations and Ideas
Cyrus McCormick Farm
16 minutes from Devils Backbone Outpost Taproom & Kitchen
Cyrus McCormick’s 1831 horse-drawn mechanical reaper combined several different mechanical actions that automated the backbreaking labor required to harvest grain by hand. The invention transformed global agriculture by allowing a single farmer to quickly harvest “as much grain as he could sow,” which sped up food production and lessened the threat of seasonal food shortages. Virginia Tech now owns the Cyrus McCormick Farm and visitors can explore the workshop where the reaper was invented and the adjacent historic mill.
Blue Ridge Tunnel
5 minutes from Basic City Beer Co.
Claudius Crozet’s 1858 Blue Ridge Tunnel was a marvel of pre-Civil War engineering that inspired many later rail tunneling projects. Crozet’s crews started at both sides of Afton Mountain and hand-drilled through nearly 4,300 feet of solid rock without the help of modern explosives or mechanical tools. When it opened, it was the longest railroad tunnel in the U.S., and it connected the Shenandoah Valley eastern railroad networks. No longer used for trains, the restored tunnel is now a popular hiking destination where visitors can learn about the history and walk under the mountain.
Wade’s Mill
8 minutes from Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery
Dating to 1750, Wade’s Mill is Virginia’s oldest continuously operating commercial gristmill. It was an early adopter of the time’s cutting-edge technology: Oliver Evans’ automated milling system, for which he received U.S. Patent #3. Wade’s Mill showcases this invention by using water and its 21-foot wheel (rather than human or animal muscle) to power a complex and fully automated internal system of gears, pulleys, and millstones to grind grain. It operates today much in the way it did at the beginning: one miller stone grinds local and regional grains into natural and additive-free products. Visitors can explore the mill’s three floors to see historic equipment and learn about the process of stone-ground milling. Wade’s Mill is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.
Shenandoah National Park
14 minutes from BrewHaHa Brewing Co.
Established on over 200,000 acres of protected wilderness to conserve the area’s natural beauty and ensure public access, much of Shenandoah National Park’s infrastructure dates to the Great Depression and Roosevelt’s New Deal. Civilian Conservation Corps workers developed and standardized engineering techniques to cut mountain trails and build dry-stone retaining walls and lodges, which has been echoed in parks across the country. The Skyline Drive and its 75 scenic overlooks were constructed in the 1930s to appeal to a new era of automobile vacationers.
Blue Ridge Heritage Project Monument
The Elkton monument is 3 minutes from Elkton Brewing Co.
The Grottoes monument 12 minutes from The Alpine Goat Brewery
The land that makes up Shenandoah National Park was not always public, and as it was established, many people who lived there and worked on the land found themselves displaced. Park “re-wilding and ecological reclamation” protects native species and fragile ecosystems, but as with much of history, it’s more complex than that. The Blue Ridge Heritage Project seeks to educate the public and honor the families who lost their homes with informative kiosks and a series of chimney-shaped monuments representing lost homes.
Grand Caverns
12 minutes from The Alpine Goat Brewery
Shortly after Grand Caverns was discovered in 1804, it opened to the public, providing an innovative recreational destination. Early visitors explored the system of subterranean, torch-lit pathways, and both Union and Confederate soldiers scratched their names into the walls during the Civil War. It is the oldest continuously operating show cave in the U.S., eventually being recognized as a National Natural Landmark. Modern visitors can learn about the Valley’s history, geology, and cave preservation ethics as they enjoy both walking and spelunking tours.
Independent Farm Breweries and their Role in Agritourism
Independent breweries along the Beerwerks Trail offer more than just interesting taprooms and delicious beer. They have influenced our area’s agritourism movement by combining working farms and agricultural structures into gathering and event spaces where sustainability, craft, hospitality, and community meet.
- Stable Craft Brewing championed the legislation that allows agritourism venues to welcome guests onto working farms. Today, it welcomes families, holds sustainable farming tours, and offers expansive facilities for events
- Cave Hill Farms Brewery’s connection to the soil (and a three-centuries of adapting to changing farming practices) is central to the brewery’s brewing processes and operation.
- White Oak Lavender Farm combines lavender farming, viticulture, and relaxation to create a sweet smelling farm brewery experience.
- Great Valley Farm Brewing is a multi-faceted destination for both wine and craft-beer enthusiasts, emphasizing farm-grown ingredients and magnificent scenery.
- Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery focuses on high-quality, small-batch production that’s perfectly attuned to the growing conditions in the Valley.
History & Heritage
The Virginia Quilt Museum
10 minutes from Pale Fire Brewing Company
Recognized as the official quilt museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Dayton’s Virginia Quilt Museum uses Virginia’s quilting heritage to bring its story to life. Over 300 handmade quilts dating back to the 18th century offer insight into the cultural, social, and artistic lives of communities over time. Museum programming teaches visitors about the Valley’s cultural history as well as how to appreciate the quilting arts through classes and workshops.
The Frontier Culture Museum
12 minutes from PRO RE NATA+
Costumed interpreters at Staunton’s open-air Frontier Culture Museum illustrate the daily lives and traditions of the Valley’s earliest residents as they work farms representing various points in history. Visitors will tour old-world farms like those built in Europe and Africa as well as a Native American village and new-world farms representing those constructed on the American frontier.
The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center
6 minutes from Restless Moons Brewing
The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center tells the stories and shares the history of Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley who “emphasize peace and non-violence, the priority of spiritual over material values, disaster relief and voluntary service, care for neighbors, stewardship of the land, and the role of the faith community in discernment and practice.” The center offers guided tours of historic buildings, exhibits, and wholesome hands-on farm activities.
Rocktown History
15 minutes from White Oak Lavender Farm and Purple WOLF Vineyard
Dayton’s Rocktown History preserves the history of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County with artifacts and narratives about early settlement and frontier life, folk art and crafts, Civil War, WWI, and WWII history, and African American heritage. The museum hosts special events and education programming on various topics. Visitors can also access a free research library of local and genealogical resources and a self-guided walking tour of Dayton.
Waynesboro Heritage Museum
15 minutes from Seven Arrows Brewing
The Waynesboro Heritage Foundation’s Waynesboro Heritage Museum houses photographs, maps, furniture, textiles, and other artifacts from a variety of historical eras. Exhibits explore subjects like the history of local entertainment and hospitality, the railroad, banking, education, and Waynesboro’s early entrepreneurs. The foundation’s nearby Plumb House museum houses a Civil war exhibit in Waynesboro’s oldest frame dwelling.
Woodrow Wilson Birthplace
5 minutes from Queen City Brewing
Exhibits at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum teach visitors about Wilson’s life and Staunton history. Visitors can also learn about World War I and trench warfare, the League of Nations, and important progressive reforms like suffrage and prohibition. Round out your visit with a stroll through the historic gardens or one of Historic Staunton Foundation’s free Saturday morning walking tours.
The Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail provides access to important sites that demonstrate our history and innovative spirit. Celebrate independence as you visit them and raise a glass along the Beerwerks Trail.
