Editing Shenandoah, Virginia (section)

===20th century===
Between 1890 and 1907, depression swept through the entire country. This depression affected Shenandoah as businesses closed and went bankrupt. Others, such as the luxurious town hotel, "The Shenandoah," were destroyed by a fire in 1891. Floods in 1896 washed away the river bridge, and yet another fire destroyed the town bank.

In 1907, the Big Gem Furnace discontinued operations and parts of the land were sold off. The Big Gem was dismantled in 1917 and the land passed ownership to the [[Lukens Steel Company]] who donated the land to the town on September 27, 1995. The land, {{convert|68.6|acre|m2}}, became the site of an outdoor recreational park which was named "Big Gem Park" after the Big Gem Furnace.

Since the railroad downgraded its facilities along First St. in 1957, the downtown has remained dormant. Most of the town's growth has occurred along the Route 340 corridor, which runs the entire length of Page County. Currently, the town has plans to revitalize Shenandoah, which like most other small, rural towns in America, suffered from the popularity of strip malls and the development of large shopping centers. The town would like to revive "Old Front Street," develop the Big Gem Furnace tract, and play on its rich railroad history and proximity to such popular tourist destinations as Luray Caverns, Massanutten Resort, and the Shenandoah National Park.