New Market Historic District
Why it's listed
New Market is a small Shenandoah Valley town stretching just under a mile along U.S. Route 11, the old Valley Pike. It began at a crossroads where John Sevier opened a trader's store in 1761, and Peter Palsel laid out the town in 1785. It was officially named New Market in 1796. Most buildings are two-story brick or frame structures with gable roofs set at the front of their lots, and about two thirds of the roughly one hundred along the main road date from the nineteenth century. Notable buildings include the Strayer House, later the Lee-Jackson Hotel, a limestone Henkel family house, a log store, and Emmanuel Lutheran Church. The Henkel Press, founded in 1806, is the oldest Lutheran press in America. The town also figured in the Civil War battle of May 15, 1864. Growth stopped in the late nineteenth century when the Valley Pike traffic dwindled and the railroad bypassed it, which preserved the town's early character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues New Market is one of the best preserved and most historic linear towns along the Valley Pike, having grown little since the mid-nineteenth century. It also holds the Henkel Press, the oldest Lutheran press in America, and was tied to the 1864 Battle of New Market. The district also has notable early brick, frame, and log buildings.
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 72001416, listed September 22, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of U.S. 11 and 211, New Market |
|---|---|
| County | Shenandoah County |
| Listed | September 22, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001416 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Mixed 18th and 19th century town architecture: Federal, Georgian, Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and log and frame vernacular buildings |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Military, Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied town in good condition and unaltered, with some modern intrusions such as utility poles, overhead wires, large signs and gasoline stations. |
| Acreage | 130 |
| Coordinates | 38.64707, -78.67207 (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 72001416.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15262073
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.