Shenandoah Valley Company Building
Walking the historic downtown of Martinsburg, I found myself searching for the buildings that would have been familiar to my father during his youth. Many storefronts have changed but some of the city’s grand commercial buildings remain much as they appeared when he walked these streets.
One structure that caught my attention was the Shenandoah Valley Company Building, completed in 1906. Rising five stories, its classical facade and impressive arched entrance reflected the confidence and prosperity of Martinsburg during the early twentieth century.
The Shenandoah Valley Company was an investment enterprise created during a period when Martinsburg was growing as a center of transportation. The company itself has disappeared, but its headquarters remains one of the architectural treasures of downtown.
I could not help but think that this was a building my father surely knew. It had already stood for nearly twenty years when he was born in 1920 and would have been a familiar sight throughout his childhood.
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Berkeley County Courthouse
As I walked around Martinsburg, I tried to stop and capture the landmarks that would have been familiar to my father. One such building was the impressive Berkeley County Courthouse, with its stately columns, red brick exterior and distinctive dome. It stands as one of the architectural treasures of the city. Completed in 1908 in the Beaux-Arts style, […]
Baltimore & Ohio Roundhouse
I had never heard of the Baltimore & Ohio Roundhouse until I started wandering through Martinsburg. It was one of those remarkable surprises that make exploring a town on foot so rewarding. Hidden away from the main streets, I came upon what turned out to be one of the most important railroad sites in the country. The […]
Martinsburg Town Square
The three bronze plaques incorporated into Martinsburg Town Square tell the story of the purpose, construction, and dedication of this public space. Rather than serving as traditional monuments to a single event or individual, they preserve the memory of a community effort that transformed a section of downtown into a gathering place and tribute to the city’s […]
