|
The Wayside Inn Heritage is based on service to the traveler. Our first guests began
arriving in 1797, pausing for bed and board as they journeyed across  the Shenandoah Valley. Twenty years later with the building of the Valley Pike,
the Inn became a stagecoach stop, a relay station where fresh horses were ready, and where
weary passengers could rest and enjoy delicious food and spirits.
During the Civil War, soldiers from both the North and South frequented the Inn in
search of refuge and friendship. Offering comfort to all who came, the Inn was spared the
ravages of the war, although, both the South's Stonewall Jackson and the North's Phil
Sheridan campaigned fiercely through the Valley.
The Inn expanded and prospered during the early 20th Century and catered to its newest
visitors, now traveling through the Shenandoah Valley by automobile.
In the 1960's a Washington financier and antique collector energetically restored and
refurbished the Inn, decorating each room with its own unique flavor.
In the Fall of 1985, a devastating fire nearly gutted the structure, but with love and
care the Inn has been able to retain its 18th Century atmosphere. The tradition continues
as each visitor receives a warm welcome back to the bygone era of fine food and lodging.
|
