Tag: civil-war

Old Train Station, Grafton, West Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

How many of you have ever heard of the small town of Grafton in the U.S. state of West Virginia?  Most of you probably have never heard of this town.  As you drive through the town, you see old buildings.  It appears to be a small town with little significance.  Then you see what looks like an old train station, but it is not your average small town train station.  It looks like something that you would see in a major city.

Why is it here?

The old train station in Grafton, West Virginia was a train station and a hotel.  Why would somebody build a train station and hotel in this small town?  Ladies and gentlemen, this town was not your average small town.

The town of Grafton, West Virginia, originally established at the town of Grafton, Virginia in 1852 as the land was original park of the U.S. state of Virginia before West Virginia was a state, is said to be named after John Grafton.  Who is John Grafton?  He was a civil engineer for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.  It was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that established the town of Grafton.  The train station and upscale hotel was built in the 1850’s by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in honor of Daniel Williard, the president of the railroad, and the hotel was called the Williard Hotel in his honor.  The hotel closed in the 1960’s with the decline of passenger railroad service and was a hotel for train crews.  Passenger service ceased in 1971.

Today, the railroad tracks are owned by CSX Transportation who still has a railroad yard in the town.  The old train station and hotel and the Grafton Downtown Historic District are on the National Register of Historic Places, but the old train station is not open to the public.  The only view of the interior is through the windows.  It is located on U.S. Route 119 south of U.S. Route 50. Along with the railroad building the town, the railroad was a great contributor to the town’s history particularly during the American Civil War.  The town is also the home of the Mother’s Day Shrine and is said to be the birthplace of Mother’s Day.  As you drive around, you will see that this town that looks like it has little history has some much history to see… brought to you by the railroad and an old train station.

Manassas Museum, Manassas, Virginia

by jbcowgill, posted in Uncategorized

Many people in the United States of America and around the world have heard of the town of Manassas in the U.S. state of Virginia.  The town is rich in history and is most famous for being a major player in the American Civil War.  The most famous thing about Manassas is that it is the only place where two major battles of the American Civil War took place.  The first battle, commonly called the First Battle of Manassas, is where a Confederate General named Thomas Jackson was issued the name ‘Stonewall’ after he continued to fight the Union Army as much of the Confederate Army was retreating, a stand that gave the Confederate Army a victory.  Although the American Civil War dominates the town’s history, that town is known for many things.  The best way to learn the story of Manassas, Virginia is to visit the Manassas Museum.  Located in the Old Town (the original part of the town), the Manassas Museum tells the story from the very beginning to the present day.  If you want to know everything about Manassas, Virginia, the Manassas Museum is a place that you must visit.

Some of you are saying, “This is nice.  I have been to many town museums, and they all talk about their town.  As for Manassas, the town is truly about the American Civil War and the two battles.  There is a problem.  Manassas is famous for the American Civil War and not railroads.  Therefore, I will not be battling my way to visit this museum.”

You are exactly right.  Manassas, Virginia is dominated by American Civil War history.  What is the point of visiting Manassas or the Manassas Museum.

Even though the history of Manassas, Virginia is dominated by the American Civil War and the only place were two major battles of the war took place, the history of Manassas does not start there.  How did the town start?  Well, it was originally called Manassas Junction.  How did the name Manassas Junction come about?  Even though the town is famous for the American Civil War, it began as a railroad town.  A display at the Manassas Museum tells the story of Manassas as a railroad town which features a step for passengers from the Southern Railway, a railroad that served Manassas.  There is also a conductors hat and a replica railroad lantern.

If that is not enough, the First Battle of Manassas was the first war in American history to use the railroad as General Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson and his troops arrived by train at a location near the museum and marched up to the present day battlefield to fight the war.  The first railroad built specifically for military use ran from Manassas to a town called Centreville.  If that is not enough, all of the railroad tracks with the exception of the military railroad which was short lived still pass through Manassas today and is owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway today.  If that is not enough, the Manassas Railroad Festival takes place on the first Saturday in June every year.

As mentioned, the Manassas Museum tells the story of Manassas.  The railroad is a big part of the history of the town from the very beginning as a junction on the railroad to it days as a suburb of Washington D.C.  Manassas has a history that continues to this day.

The Manassas Museum is located at 9101 Prince William Street in Manassas, Virginia just blocks from Virginia Route 28 and across the street from the Manassas Train Station.  Parking is available at the museum.  It is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Saturday and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday.  Admission is free, and the museum is completely wheelchair accessible.

Come to the Manassas Museum.  See the story of Manassas from the beginning to the present day.  See how the railroad started a town that continues to transform the United States of America to this present day.