Editing Shepherdstown, West Virginia (section)

==History==
===18th century===
Established on December 23, 1762, by consecutive acts passed by the Virginia [[House of Burgesses]] and approved by the governor, Mecklenburg (later renamed Shepherdstown), and [[Romney, West Virginia|Romney]] in [[Hampshire County, West Virginia|Hampshire County]] are the oldest towns in [[West Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vagenweb.org/hening/vol07-27.htm|title=An Act for establishing the town of Mecklenburg, in the county of Frederick, Hening's Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, Chapter XXII|website=vagenweb.org|access-date=March 5, 2017}}</ref> On a list of more than 30 approved "publick and private bills" of that date, the bill containing ''An Act for establishing the town of Mecklenburg, in the county of Frederick'' immediately follows ''An act for establishing the town of Romney, in the county of Hampshire, and for other purposes therein-mentioned.''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ffstAAAAYAAJ&q=romney+|title=Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia, 1761-1765|last=Burgesses|first=Virginia General Assembly House of|date=January 1, 1907|publisher=Colonial Press, E. Waddey Company|pages=164–165|language=en}}</ref>

The first British colonial settlers began their migration into the northern end of the [[Shenandoah Valley]] in the early 18th century. Many crossed the [[Potomac River|Potowmack (now Potomac) River]] at Pack Horse Ford, about {{Convert|1|mi|spell=in}} down river from the future site of Shepherdstown. The [[Colony of Virginia]] began issuing Valley land grants in the 1730s. In 1734, Thomas Shepherd (1705–1776) was granted {{Convert|222|acre}} on the south side of the Potomac, along the Falling Spring Branch (now known as the Town Run). From that tract he selected {{Convert|50|acre|abbr=}} and laid out a town. Naming his town Mecklenburg, he petitioned the [[Virginia General Assembly]] for a charter, which was granted in 1762.

Shepherd was the sole trustee, owning the town and being responsible for its government. More than six natural springs feed Town Run before it enters the south end of town. It never floods, nor runs dry; it meanders through backyards, under houses, across alleys and beneath five streets. This setting was conducive to millers, tanners, potters, smiths and other artisans. As a result, by 1775, the town boasted 1,000 inhabitants. In 1775, General [[George Washington]] issued a call for "Virginia Volunteer Riflemen." Captain Hugh Stephenson filled the ranks of his company here. The troops departed from "Morgan's Spring," about {{Convert|1/2|mi|spell=in}} south of the town limits, on July 16, 1775. This famous "[[Beeline March to Cambridge]]" covered {{Convert|600|mi|abbr=on}} in 24 days. Thirty-eight [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary]] veterans are buried in the surrounding area.

On December 3, 1787, [[James Rumsey]] conducted a successful trial of his new invention, the steamboat, in the Potomac at the north end of Princess Street. The first newspaper—''The Potomac Guardian and Berkley Advertiser''—and book (''The Christian Panoply'') in what is now [[West Virginia]] were published here (1790s). (The Shepherdstown Public Library has a copy of the book.) Shepherdstown was the birthplace of [[Robert Lucas (governor)|Robert Lucas]] (1781), the future governor of Ohio and territorial governor of Iowa.

A second charter, which allowed for self-government, was granted by the [[Virginia|Commonwealth of Virginia]] in 1794. In 1798, the corporate limits were extended and the name was changed to Shepherd's Town. After the [[American Civil War]], the town's name was officially contracted to Shepherdstown. The clay soil in the area was conducive to brick making. By the late 1790s, there were several commercial brickyards, and kilns could be built with little difficulty. In many instances, bricks were "burnt" at the construction sites. They were plentiful and cheaper than nails. Roofing material affected the market value and the insurance premiums of the brick structures. Those covered with tile were much more valuable than those topped with wooden shingles. Fires starting in the shingles destroyed many brick homes, mills, stores and outbuildings.

===19th century===
[[File:Ca-1861-1865-bridge-ruins-C&O-Canal-Lock-38-Potomac-Shepherdstown.tif|thumb|left|Lock 38 of the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal]] and ruins of a bridge across the Potomac River, ca. 1861–1865]]
Running along the [[Maryland]] side of the Potomac River, the [[Chesapeake and Ohio Canal|Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal]] reached Shepherdstown in the early 1830s. Lock no. 38—named "Shepherdstown River Lock"—was built across from Shepherdstown at mile 72.7 of the canal. One of only three of its kind on the canal, it allowed canal boats to transfer between the canal and the river to serve industries in Shepherdstown with shipments of cement, coal, flour, corn, wheat, oats, flour, and timothy seed.<ref>{{Cite book |title=C&O Canal Explorer |publisher=C&O Canal Trust}}</ref> Shepherdstown is the only town in West Virginia that has a canal lock named for it.

Two free schools were built in the town in 1848. One still stands on the southeast corner of Princess and New Streets. When West Virginia became the 35th state (in 1863), these became the oldest free schoolhouses in the state.

The Hamtramck Guard (The Shepherdstown Light Infantry) was dispatched to nearby [[Harpers Ferry, West Virginia|Harpers Ferry]] to subdue [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]]'s raid on the [[Harpers Ferry Armory|federal armory]] (October 1859). At the outbreak of the Civil War, this group became Company B, [[2nd Virginia Infantry]], [[Army of Northern Virginia]]. They became part of the famous "Stonewall Brigade."

After the nearby [[Battle of Antietam]] in Maryland, September 17, 1862, General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s infantry crossed the Potomac at Pack Horse Ford. The town was overwhelmed with 5,000–8,000 casualties from the battle. Every house, building, church, alley, and street was filled with the wounded and dying. The [[Battle of Shepherdstown]] (also known as the Battle of Boteler's Ford or Cement Mill) occurred on September 20, 1862, during Lee's retreat. More than 100 [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] soldiers died here and were buried in Elmwood Cemetery. Elmwood contains the graves of 285 Confederate veterans.

From 1865 to 1871, Shepherdstown served as the county seat of Jefferson County due to war damage to the courthouse in [[Charles Town, West Virginia|Charles Town]]. The Town Hall (northeast corner of German and King streets) housed the courthouse until it was moved back to Charles Town.

In 1872, the Town Hall Building was chartered as a "Classical and Scientific Institute." The building was then leased to the state and Shepherd College was born. In 2004, the Shepherd College became Shepherd University. The East Campus occupies about one-third of the town proper, and the West Campus occupies a large area just northwest of the corporate limits.

===20th century to present===
[[File:McMurran Hall WV2.jpg|thumb|McMurran Hall, [[Shepherd University]]]]
The [[Shepherdstown Historic District]] was established and added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973, with a boundary expansion to include the entire town in 1987. [[Potomac Mills (Shepherdstown, West Virginia)|Potomac Mills]] located nearby in Washington County, Maryland, was added in 2014.<ref name=NPS>{{cite web |title=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/03/14 Through 2/07/14 |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20140214.htm |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref>

On January 3, 2000, Shepherdstown was the site of the Peace Talks between [[Israel]] and [[Syria]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://telaviv.usembassy.gov/publish/peace/archives/2000/january/me0103c.html |title=Israel and Syria Open Peace Talks in Shepherdstown, West Virginia |first=William B. |last=Reinckens |date=January 3, 2000 |work=Washington File |publisher=[[United States Department of State]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041107131643/http://telaviv.usembassy.gov/publish/peace/archives/2000/january/me0103c.html |archive-date=November 7, 2004 |access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kilian|first=Michael|title=MOMENTOUS TALKS IN A QUIET TOWN|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-01-03-0001030081-story.html|access-date=March 26, 2021|website=chicagotribune.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2012, the town celebrated its 250th anniversary. Billed as the most haunted town in America, Shepherdstown is known as much for its ghostly residents as it is for the local arts scene, university, and historic attractions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://press.discovery.com/us/da/press-releases/2016/destination-america-steps-darkest-town-americ-3848/|website=Discovery Press Web|access-date=May 27, 2016|title=DESTINATION AMERICA STEPS INTO THE DARKEST TOWN IN AMERICA IN THE ALL-NEW SERIES GHOSTS OF SHEPHERDSTOWN : Discovery Press Web}}</ref> On June 12, 2016, [[Destination America]]’s premiered the paranormal show ''Ghosts of Shepherdstown'', starring [[Nick Groff]], [[Elizabeth Saint]], and Bill Hartley.