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A History of Strasburg, VA
(Copied from the Town Site)
The Town of Strasburg was charted in 1761 and incorporated in 1922. It is well known for its pottery, antiques,
Civil War history, and breathtaking views. The pottery industry began circa 1761 with at least seventeen potters
producing earthen and stoneware commercially.
The Strasburg Museum building was constructed in 1891 for use as a steam pottery until circa 1909 when the last pottery closed. In 1913, the Southern Railroad Company purchased the building and it served as a freight and passenger depot until the 1960s. It later became a museum and opened to the public as a National Historic Landmark in 1970. Displays include a large collection of original Strasburg Pottery, antiques, Civil War articles, Native American artifacts, farm tools, a red caboose, and a working model railroad depicting Strasburg and the Southern Railway in the 1930s.
Strasburg was an important part of the Valley Campaign in the early part of the Civil War and Stonewall Jackson knew its streets and often used its hostelry. It was he who made Strasburg "the fountainhead of Rail Traffic for the South", when he captured enemy engines in Martinsburg, West Virginia and pulled them by horse across roads to return them to the rails in Strasburg. From there they were sent south for the Confederate cause. During the closing phases of the war, Strasburg was again in the midst of the action. It is between Cedar Creek Battlefield on the north and Fisher's Hill Battlefield on the south, both accessible to the public. It is in the heart of the counties burned by Sheridan to eliminate the productivity of this "breadbasket of the Confederacy".
Wikipedia History
