Abingdon. Entertain your senses

Abingdon-va.gov

Guide Notes

  • Abingdon is one of the oldest English-speaking settlements west of the Blue Ridge.
  • The town was founded in 1778.
  • It was first named Wolf Hills by Daniel Boone.
  • The Martha Washington Inn was once a private residence, a women's college, and a Civil War hospital.
  • Abingdon boasts a twenty-block historic district.
  • The oldest building in Abingdon is The Tavern.
  • The Barter Theatre is the State Theater of Virginia.
  • The Barter Theatre is among the oldest professional residence theatres in the US, and performs the second-oldest performing arts space in the US.
  • The Barter Theatre launched the careers of such notables as Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, and Ernest Borgnine.
  • Abingdon has received such accolades as being called "One of the Top 100 Small Towns for the Arts in the US," an All-American City Finalist, and many other distinctive honors.
  • The Virginia Highlands Festival, held in August, attracts tens of thousands of visitors who enjoy the best of Appalachian culture.
  • The Virginia Highlands Festival has been named numerous times as an American Bus Association Top 100 Events in North America and a Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society.

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