Opequon Historic District
Also known as: DHR File No. 0034-5037
Why it's listed
Opequon is a crossroads village about five miles southwest of Winchester, Virginia, where Cedar Creek Grade meets Miller Road beside the headwaters of Opequon Creek. Settlement began around 1736, when the Glass and Cartmell families took up land on opposite banks of the creek. Over the next two centuries the community added gristmills, a barrel factory, a general store that housed a post office from 1876 to 1948, a church that also served as a school, and homes. Surviving buildings include Race Mills, begun around 1751, the limestone Glass-Rinker-Cooper Mill from about 1812, and Homespun, built in 1771. Tokes' Inn, run by descendants of enslaved people from Greenwood, operated as a restaurant and caterer from 1918 to 1998. The district was recognized for its role in early Shenandoah Valley settlement and for its architecture spanning many periods. It covers 94 acres with 33 contributing and 4 noncontributing buildings.
Significance in brief: The village is one of Frederick County's earliest settlements, founded by the Glass and Cartmell families, and grew around mills, stores, a church and homes along Opequon Creek. It is significant for settlement history and for its surviving architecture from the 18th to the 20th centuries, including limestone houses, a gristmill and vernacular buildings tied to the area's African American residents.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 02000515, listed May 16, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of VA 622 and VA 620, Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Frederick County |
| Listed | May 16, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000515 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1736-1951 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Federal, Mid-19th Century, Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings survive with additions; the Hodgson Store became a residence about 1980, Tokes' Inn restaurant closed in 1998, and the nomination notes suburban development threatening the village. |
| Acreage | 94 |
| Coordinates | 39.15689, -78.24718 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 02000515.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713029
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.