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Shepherdstown is the oldest
town in West Virginia. The first settlement was recorded
in 1730. Thomas Shepherd obtained a land grant in
1734 and was soon followed by other settlers. The
town was originally named Mecklenburg in 1762, but
then later changed to Shepherdstown in honor of its
founder. Many of the first settlers were German and
the town had a German School in the community as early
as 1762. The main street in Shepherdstown is still
to this day called German Street.
The town is historically
remembered for James Rumsey's invention of the steamboat
in 1787. The Rumsey Monument commemorating this event
can still be visited in Shepherdstown.
Shepherd University was
founded in 1871 as a private college in Shepherdstown
to instruct students in language arts and sciences.
Today Shepherd University is the fastest growing college
in West Virginia with over 4,000 students.
Shepherdstown is also centered
in the Historic Civil War area. Three miles northeast
of Shepherdstown is Antietam Battlefield, where the
bloodiest single day's battle of the Civil War was
fought. Ten Miles to the southwest is Harpers Ferry,
famous for the capture of John Brown. During the Civil
War Shepherdstown became an impromptu hospital for
Robert E. Lee's retreating Confederate Army.
Today Shepherdstown
is a small college town, population 1800, perched
confidently on a bluff overlooking the Potomac. A
stroll through town reveals a mixed collection of
beautifully maintained old homes, quaint stores, and
coffee shops.
Click here
for a complete list of Shepherdstown shops and map
of their locations.
The Historic Shepherdstown
Museum
 The
Historic Shepherdstown Museum is located in the Entler
Hotel, at the corner of Princess and East German Street
in Shepherdstown. In 1983 the Historic Shepherdstown
Museum was founded to preserve and display artifacts,
furniture, and historic documents that might otherwise
have been lost.
The museum is open from
11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturdays and 1:00 to 4:00
pm on Sundays from April through October and the two
weeks of Christmas in Historic Shepherdstown. Admission
is free but donations are gratefully accepted. www.historicshepherdstown.com
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