The small city’s quirky variety of old and new is interwoven with mountains and rivers to create a distinctive identity.
WAYNESBORO TOURISM DEPARTMENT
Virginia’s aptly named Blue Ridge Mountains form a perfect backdrop for Waynesboro’s historic Main Street.
Once upon a time, this small city in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley was synonymous with Spandex—and DuPont Chemical. Today, it’s a fine place to walk and learn.
It’s been a long haul, writing about towns to which I couldn’t travel during the pandemic. How do you build relationships without presence? How can you know subtext from hundreds of miles away? When you can’t see and hear and touch a place, can you know its truth?
So being able to visit Waynesboro, just an hour up the Shenandoah Valley from my hometown, was a wonderful thing, even if personal meetups were limited. Being there made me understand all over again that our towns have lessons to teach, ideas to share and uniqueness worth celebrating.
Where do you start your exploration of a town like Waynesboro, rimmed by acres of largely abandoned factory sites and beyond them, high ridgelines bearing the legendary Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail?
With a history stretching back more than two centuries and named after Revolutionary War hero “Mad Anthony” Wayne?
A town where, 100 years ago, the DuPont Rayon Company brought Orlon (remember that?), nylon and Lycra to the world—and mercury in the river that five years ago earned Waynesboro a hard-won, record-breaking $50 million in environmental restoration funds?
Where a historic downtown co-exists with shopping giants WalMart, Target and Kohls—all within city limits?
Where a creatively restored and programmed historic theatre, the Wayne, quickly found a way to deliver almost daily virtual entertainment to its patrons, keeping community going in a time of isolation?
WAYNESBORO TOURISM DEPARTMENT
The South River runs through downtown, giving kayakers plenty to see as they navigate the Waynesboro Water Trail.
If you stand outside that theatre, looking down the gently sloped historic Main Street toward the Blue Ridge, you’ll see essential Waynesboro: a quirky variety of old and new, interwoven with the mountains and rivers that have shaped this small city for more than 200 years.
Know this about Waynesboro: It’s a town that was made for walking. Just two miles off the Appalachian Trail, Waynesboro is a designated Appalachian Trail Community and home to the much-heralded-among-hikers, all-you-can-eat Ming Garden Chinese Buffet and Grill. Churches provide hostel space for hikers; the YMCA offers showers. Trail angels provide free transportation from the AT to Waynesboro. There’s a shoe repair shop and an outdoor outfitter catering to hikers.
Some of those hikers are standing outside Sam’s Hotdog Stand as I begin my town exploration. How do I know? The knee braces and ankle wraps give it away.
“We’re day hikers,” they admit. “This”— pointing to the Sam’s sign—“is our reward for that”—gazing at the greening ridge high above town.
I learn pretty quickly that Waynesboro has also found a lot of fun ways to lure less adventurous walkers to town. It’s a Trail Town indeed—with an impressive variety of paths to follow.
The Tree Streets Walking Tour takes you through more than 28 blocks of Queen Anne, Tudor Revival, Arts and Crafts, Georgian Revival and Colonial Revival homes on, yes, tree-lined streets. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Tree Streets area includes imposing churches, the Fishburne Military Academy and some of Waynesboro’s earliest buildings.
There’s also the Street Arts Trail, with interactive scavenger hunt clues to lead you to the next mural.
And the Historic District Walking Tour, which starts in the charmingly retro Waynesboro Heritage Museum and past the popular P. Buckley Moss Gallery and Shenandoah Valley Arts Center, and the vast University of Science and Philosophy/Russell Museum Art Center. (The original Italian Renaissance Revival home of the organization, Swannanoa, sits nearby on Afton Mountain. To read Joan Vannorsdall’s 1991 story: blueridgecountry.com/swannanoa)
If you’d rather float than walk, the Waynesboro Water Trail takes you through town on the South River, giving you a glimpse of the city’s industrial past as well as its present commitment to clean and open space by linking five parks.
One of them, Constitution Park, will be home to the Waynesboro branch of the Virginia Museum of Natural History, based in Martinsville. The 11-acre redevelopment is part of the South River Preserve, made possible by the historic settlement (the largest in Virginia history) with DuPont Chemical.
WAYNESBORO TOURISM DEPARTMENT
The Basic City Beer Co. is the Waynesboro stop on the Shenandoah Valley’s Beerwerks Trail.
Last but not least: for those looking for refreshment, the Beerwerks Trail is a fine one to travel. Ranging from Harrisonburg to Lexington, it’s a fine example of towns and counties working together, sending thirsty beer lovers to breweries up and down the Shenandoah Valley. (Bonus: eight passport stamps earns you a Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail t-shirt.)
Charming walking tours, mountain beauty, interesting history and good beer aside—what makes Waynesboro a notable Blue Ridge town?
In a word, REACH.
Initiated by the Wayne Theatre Alliance and funded by the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the Reimagining Excitement for Arts, Culture, and History in the Shenandoah Valley (R.E.A.C.H) project brings together the creative energy and attractions throughout the Augusta/Rockingham County area.
Tracy Straight, Wayne Theatre Executive Director, has high hopes for R.E.A.C.H. “We are not going to work in a silo. We want open and big vision. The more we collaborate, the more we grow.”
Strong and visible regional cooperation rather than competition is, from what I’ve seen over the past few years traveling the Blue Ridge, the future of our towns.
And after so many months of stay-at-home, limited-vision isolation, collaboration and wide-angle vision seem like just the ticket.
The story above first appeared in our July/August 2021 issue. To get more like it, subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!