A magical place called Shepherdstown

Shepherdstown, West Virginia, is one of the prettiest towns anywhere on earth. And I'm lucky enough to live just two miles outside of town.

This is our local library, lit up during the winter like the rest of the old buildings in town. And above are a few of the old houses on German St., the main drag.


Shepherdstown is on the banks of the Potomac River, just a stone's throw from Maryland where I walk along the towpath on the C&O Canal every day. We are in the cradle of the Civil War, with Harper's Ferry just 10 miles south and Antietam Battlefield just 4 miles west across the river. The picture below is of the bridge over the Potomac with the towpath below -- my favorite place to walk. The Appalachian Trail is nearby, and there's kayaking and whitewater rafting in the Shenandoah River and on the Potomac.

The town is home to Shepherd University, so it's a melting pot -- or the closest to one that you'll find in West Virginia. President Clinton held the Israeli-Syrian peace talks here when he was top dog, and the town in much more affluent and liberal than most of West Virginia, an interesting blend of the old-timers and the newcomers.

When we moved here from Cape Cod, I thought my New Yorker husband would suffer culture shock, but he continues to be in awe of the natural beauty and kindness and civility of the people here. And after searching for "home" for decades, I can say unequivocally that I have found it. I love the land. I love the sense of community. I love the atmosphere of tolerance. I love my church (seen below). I love my home here. Actually, I'm grateful for Shepherdstown, if that makes sense.

Steps of New Street United Methodist Church, with kitty cat making herself at home
Shepherdstown sort of puts its arms around you and embraces you like an old friend. It's in danger of becoming too yuppified, but it seems to hold it own. Only 75 miles from D.C. and Baltimore, it's another world entirely.

Voted the "smartest" of the Washington exurbs, Shepherdstown, admittedly, is not your typical old West Virginia town. It has a future and a past, but the river, the railroad with the constant sound of trains passing, the lucky geography it enjoys and its history as a refuge and a place of healing make it unique. After the bloody battle of Antietam, as southern troops fell back across the river, every available building in our town was converted into hospitals to treat the wounded and dying, regardless of whether their uniforms were blue or gray. Originally part of Virginia, it was annexed to West Virginia by Lincoln's decree after the war, and it is considered to be the oldest town in West Virginia.

It's a special place, my hometown. Ask anyone who's been here.

Former barbershop with red door; freight train crossing river on trestle.