Virginia

Todd Henson

Fisher’s Hill Battlefield - Ramseur’s Hill /  by Todd Henson

The entrance sign at Fisher’s Hill Battlefield

Virginia is a great location to live or visit if you are interested in Civil War history, and though I’ve never thought of myself as a Civil War buff, I do find it interesting and humbling to visit some of the battlefield locations and imagine what it might have been like at that time. My father and I recently visited Fisher’s Hill Battlefield, one of many locations within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District.

A panoramic view of Fisher’s Hill Battlefield (8-image stitched pano)

As with so many of the battlefields, you may not see any evidence of the war, no buildings or canons or dug trenches, but you will see sweeping landscapes, large fields, and hilly terrain. The maps on the signs do a great job describing where the various troops were positioned and how they maneuvered. This location, Fisher’s Hill, is referred to as Shenandoah Valley’s “Gibraltar”. The signage describes it as: “a natural fortification, apparently an impregnable one,” that sits at the narrowest part of the Shenandoah Valley, stretching just four miles from Little North Mountain to your front to Massanutten Mountain behind you.

The main signage at the parking lot of Fisher’s Hill Battlefield

The first trail sign at Fisher’s Hill Battlefield

This is where Union General Philip H. Sheridan’s forces pursued and engaged for the second time with Confederate General Jubal A. Early’s army. Early’s forces were significantly outnumbered and outmaneuvered, with 9,500 Confederate forces battling against 29,444 Union forces. By the end of the battle which was a Union victory the Confederates had lost 1,235 soldiers and the Union lost 528.

A view from a hill hear the entrance to the battlefield

As for location names, Fisher’s Hill isn’t a single hill but a series of hills between Back Road and the Shenandoah River. Ramseur’s Hill is one of these hills, named after Confederate General S. Dodson Ramseur whose troops manned this hill during the battle.

From atop a hill on the battlefield you can see the traffic of Interstate 81

The trail starts at the parking lot and weaves around some of the hilly terrain. We walked the initial section which is fairly accessible and level, but it appears, and the signs indicate, that beyond this point the trail becomes steeper and less accessible. If you’re ever in the area consider a visit. It’s located just off Interstate 81 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Looking down at the bridge and walkway to the parking lot

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

St John’s Baptist Church and Moses Lodge - Hurleytown, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

St. John’s Baptist Church and Moses Lodge

If you’ve ever driven along Green Road in Hurleytown, part of Midland, Virginia, you may recognize these buildings, St. John’s Baptist Church and Moses Lodge, also known as St. John’s Odd Fellows Hall. I found them thanks to my father, who knows I enjoy seeing and photographing older buildings, and who learned of these through a friend (so thanks to family and friends!).

After I photograph buildings like these I love trying to find some history to go along with them. In this case each building had some clues. The church had a sign on the side of it indicating it had been rebuilt in 1931. And Moses Lodge had a sign that was a bit difficult to fully read, but said “BREWER DELIGHT” and something about “MOSES” and “ORGANIZED APRIL.6.1905”. Also, the church is still actively used and their website indicated it was originally erected in Hurleytown on September 17, 1894.

A sign on St. John’s Baptist Church indicating it was rebuilt in 1931.

A sign on Moses Lodge indicating it was organized on April 6, 1905.

After doing more searching I found a document in the Special Collections of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources titled: “Phase I Architectural Survey of Selected African American Historic Resources” from 2021. This was a fantastic bit of research where I learned that distinct African American communities were established throughout Fauquier County largely due to segregation laws and housing discrimination of the time. These communities were usually centered around a church and a school. In this case we have Hurleytown with a church and a lodge, or hall.

St. John’s Baptist Church

Hurleytown is named after Lawson Hurley, a farmer who purchased land in the area after the Civil War. In 1880 Hurley was described as “a 56-year old African American who could not read or write, but who owned…” and tilled land. It’s said a church was in the community as early as 1869, but it was 1894 that the land where St. John’s Baptist Church resides was granted by Samuel and Belle Smith. Later, in 1910, the Smiths deeded more land to the trustees of the “Moses and Juvenile Lodge of Hurleytown.” Moses Lodge, also called St. John’s Odd Fellows Hall was build in 1905. And the church was rebuilt in 1931 after a devastating fire destroyed the original building. The new building is described in the survey as “a one-story, three-bay, vernacular church building with some Gothic Revival-style elements.”

Moses Lodge, or St. John’s Odd Fellows Hall

The lodge appeared to go by various names, Moses Lodge, St. John’s Odd Fellows Hall, and possibly the Moses and Juvenile Lodge of Hurleytown. The Order of the Odd Fellows was an historic fraternal order. There were apparently at least two different Orders of Odd Fellows and it’s not clear which of these the hall may have been associated with. And given the name Moses Lodge, it’s unclear whether this may have in some way been associated with the Ancient United Order of the Sons and Daughters, Brothers and Sisters of Moses, another fraternal group of the time.

St. John’s Baptist Church and Odd Fellows Hall

I hope you enjoyed these fascinating pieces of local history and views of the buildings.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Reflections at Pope’s Creek in Winter /  by Todd Henson

Reflections on Pope’s Creek in winter as seen from the visitor’s center of George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Virginia

During a visit to George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia, around mid-January of 2025, my father and I found a quiet and calm scene of winter as we looked out over Pope’s Creek, one of a great many tidal tributaries of the Potomac River.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!