Editing Abingdon, Virginia (section)

==History==
[[File:Historical Collections of Virginia - Abingdon.jpg|thumb|left|View of Abingdon {{circa|1845}}]]
[[File:Barter theater.png|200px|thumb|left|Barter Theatre]]
The region was long the territory of varying cultures of [[indigenous people]]s, including the [[Chisca]] and [[Xualae]]. From the late 17th-century, it was occupied by the Cherokee Nation, whose territory extended from the present-day area of borders of Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky through the spine of North Carolina and later into Georgia.

Between 1748 and 1750, Thomas Walker, a principal in the [[Loyal Land Company]], and his crew surveyed the land where the town of Abingdon is now situated. It was on the Great Road that [[Colonel]] [[William Byrd III]] ordered cut through the wilderness on to [[Kingsport, Tennessee]].<ref name="Abingdon">{{Cite web |url=http://www.abingdon.com/our_rich_history.html |title=Official Town of Abingdon website |access-date=August 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061106125022/http://www.abingdon.com/our_rich_history.html |archive-date=November 6, 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Walker wrote that the tract on which Abingdon was later built was known as the Wolf Hill Tract.<ref>Kegley, F.B., 1993, "Virginia Frontier: Beginning of the Southwest 1740-1783", p. 127.</ref> In the twenty-first century, the town sponsored a public art event, in which artists created 27 wolf sculptures, which were installed around the town. Most were later sold at an auction to raise money for Advance Abingdon.<ref name="Abingdon"/>

Between 1765 and 1770 James Douglas, Andrew Colville, George Blackburn, Joseph Black, Samuel Briggs and James Piper settled in and around present-day Abingdon under purchases from Thomas Walker. By 1773 there were enough settlers, primarily Scots-Irish, to establish Presbyterian congregations, and the Rev. Charles Cummings became the first settled pastor west of the Allegheny Mountains.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newrivernotes.com/history-of-abingdon-presbytery/ | title=History of Abingdon Presbytery – New River Notes }}</ref>

During [[Dunmore's War|Lord Dunmore's War]], [[Joseph Black (Virginia)|Joseph Black]] built Black's Fort in 1774 to protect local settlers in the region from attacks by the [[Cherokee]] of the Lower Towns.<ref name="Abingdon"/> It consisted of a log stockade, with a few log cabins inside, where nearby settlers took refuge in event of attack. They retreated to the fort in 1776 when attacked by the war leader [[Dragging Canoe]] and his [[Chickamauga Cherokee]] forces. Hoping to push out the colonists, the Cherokee had allied with the British in the [[American Revolutionary War]].<ref>Carrie Hunter Willis and Etta Belle Walker, 1937, ''Legends of the Skyline Drive and the Great Valley of Virginia'', pp. 118–119.</ref> The settlement was known as '''Black's Fort''' prior to being named Abingdon. Black, Briggs and Walker donated the 120 acres of land upon which the original town was laid out.

The area was at the intersection of two great Indian trails, which had followed ancient animal migration trails through the mountains. It was a prime location as a trade center and access point to the west and south. In 1776 the community of Black's Fort was made the county seat of the newly formed Washington county. In 1778, Black's Fort was incorporated as the town of '''Abingdon''', said to be named for [[Abingdon-on-Thames]] the ancestral home of [[Martha Washington]] in [[Oxfordshire, England]]. Other possible namesakes for the town include Jake Dore's home in Abington, Pennsylvania, or Lord Abingdon, friend of settler [[William Campbell (general)|William Campbell]].<ref>Tennis, Joe. ''Southwest Virginia Crossroads: An Almanac of Place Names and Places to See''. Overmountain Press: Johnson City, Tennessee, 2004.</ref>

The post office was first established in Abingdon on August 20, 1792, on the same day as the Charlottesville and Lexington post offices. Only ten post offices existed in Virginia prior to that date; Abingdon's was the first one established west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.<ref>https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/postmaster-finder/post-offices-by-est-date.htm</ref> The postmaster appointed on that date declined the position and never served. Gerrard T. Conn became the first person to serve as postmaster on January 14, 1793 and served until January 15, 1796.<ref>https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/postmaster-finder/postmasters-by-city.htm</ref>

With a bequest of $10,000 from salt entrepreneur William King, the Abingdon Male Academy opened in 1824. By 1830, over forty students were enrolled. It continued to thrive until 1861 when classes were suspended during the Civil War, and eventually closed in 1905. The property later became the Abingdon High School and is now home to the William King Museum of Art.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.williamkingmuseum.org/about-us/history-of-the-museum/ | title=History of the Museum – WKMA }}</ref>

[[Martha Washington College]], a school for women, operated in Abingdon from 1860 to 1932 in the former residence of Gen. [[Francis Preston]] which was built about 1832.<ref>"The Historical Marker Database", https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=45239 retrieved November 16, 2022.</ref>  Since 1935 the building has been occupied and operated as a hotel, the [[Martha Washington Inn]].  In 1867, Roman Catholics opened Villa Maria Academy of the Visitation for the education of young ladies.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.washcova.com/history/ | title=History - Washington County Virginia | date=June 10, 2019 }}</ref> The Stonewall Jackson Female Institute operated from 1868 to 1930 in the former residence of Gov. [[John B. Floyd]] next to the Preston home.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=45135 | title=Stonewall Jackson Female Institute Historical Marker }}</ref>

The [[Barter Theatre]], the state theatre of Virginia, was opened in Abingdon in 1933 during the [[Great Depression]]. It is now the longest-running professional equity theatre in the United States.

Abingdon is the final stop along the [[Virginia Creeper Trail]], which allows pedestrian, cyclist and equestrian traffic. This rail-to-trail conversion is 35 miles long, extending from [[Whitetop Mountain]] through [[Damascus, Virginia|Damascus]], Virginia, with the trailhead in Abingdon. The Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, located in Abingdon, serves as a regional genealogy center, in addition to being a repository for Washington County history.<ref>hswcv.org</ref>

The [[Abingdon Historic District]], [[Abingdon Bank]], [[Mont Calm]], [[Moonlite Theatre]], [[Dr. William H. Pitts House]], [[White's Mill (Abingdon, Virginia)|White's Mill]], and [[Baker-St. John House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20110304.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=March 4, 2011|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/22/11 through 2/25/11 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>