STEPHENS CITY, VIRGINIA
Welcome to Stephens City, a unique little town situated at the
northern end of the Shenandoah Valley between the beautiful
Allegheny and Blue Ridge Mountains. Steeped in history, Stephens
City has maintained a small town atmosphere even though there is
growth all around.
Stephens City plays host to the annual "Newtown Heritage Festival" held each Memorial Day weekend. The three-day event features many crafts, carnival-style food, a tractor wagon ride through town, local music at Newtown Commons, a parade on Saturday and fireworks. Stephens City is one of the towns along the route 11 Yard Crawl. A yearly event held during the second Saturday in August, the Yard Crawl is an almost 50-mile-long (80 km) yard sale that stretches from Stephens City's Newtown Commons south along U.S. Route 11 to New Market, Virginia.
AREA HISTORY
Stephens City is a small town in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Stephens City was founded October 12, 1758, as the second oldest town in the Shenandoah Valley and was originally settled by individuals of Scottish, Irish, and German ancestry. In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries, Stephens City, then known as Newtown, became prosperous as a crossroads village with a variety of small-scale crafts and industries, featuring production of the renowned Newtown wagon. This prosperity peaked in the 1840s. With ravages and disruptions brought on by the town’s location in the midst of conflict during the Civil War, and with subsequent nationally-scaled changes in transportation, industry, and agriculture, Stephens City suffered. Old industries declined and disappeared. By the late nineteenth century, however, regional prosperity reemerged, and Stephens City found its place serving the local industrial base.
Stephens City is remarkable because it has retained its small-town character over two centuries of development and change. Change in Stephens City has been small scaled and accumulative. As a result, the town has a very high degree of historical integrity that will continue to be featured through renewal and revitalization.
STEPHENS CITY RESTAURANTS & DINING
DRAFTS, WINES & SPIRITS
FARM FRESH
PARKS & PLAY
Stephens City plays host to the annual "Newtown Heritage Festival" held each Memorial Day weekend. The three-day event features many crafts, carnival-style food, a tractor wagon ride through town, local music at Newtown Commons, a parade on Saturday and fireworks. Stephens City is one of the towns along the route 11 Yard Crawl. A yearly event held during the second Saturday in August, the Yard Crawl is an almost 50-mile-long (80 km) yard sale that stretches from Stephens City's Newtown Commons south along U.S. Route 11 to New Market, Virginia.
AREA HISTORY
Stephens City is a small town in the lower Shenandoah Valley. Stephens City was founded October 12, 1758, as the second oldest town in the Shenandoah Valley and was originally settled by individuals of Scottish, Irish, and German ancestry. In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries, Stephens City, then known as Newtown, became prosperous as a crossroads village with a variety of small-scale crafts and industries, featuring production of the renowned Newtown wagon. This prosperity peaked in the 1840s. With ravages and disruptions brought on by the town’s location in the midst of conflict during the Civil War, and with subsequent nationally-scaled changes in transportation, industry, and agriculture, Stephens City suffered. Old industries declined and disappeared. By the late nineteenth century, however, regional prosperity reemerged, and Stephens City found its place serving the local industrial base.
Stephens City is remarkable because it has retained its small-town character over two centuries of development and change. Change in Stephens City has been small scaled and accumulative. As a result, the town has a very high degree of historical integrity that will continue to be featured through renewal and revitalization.
STEPHENS CITY RESTAURANTS & DINING
- Altos de Jalisco Mexican Grill
- Flaka’s Restaurant
- Italian Delight
- Newtown Diner
- Paladin Bar & Grill
- Region’s 117
DRAFTS, WINES & SPIRITS
- Alesatian Brewing Company
- Backroom Brewery
- Escutcheon Brewing Co.
- Valerie Hill Vineyard
- Vibrissa Beer
FARM FRESH
- Stephens City Farmers Market
- West Oaks Farm Market
- Shen Val Farm Market
PARKS & PLAY
- Bowman Library Trail
- Dinosaur Land
- Rose Hill Park
- Sherando Park
- Sherando Bike Park
- Stephens Park Lake Main Playground