What is the magic of Staunton? Everyone has their own answer. For some, it is the beauty of architecture and one of the prettiest main streets recognized in many "best of the best" lists; for others, it is a vibrant community; diverse cultural experiences; multiple opportunities to express yourself; the chance to experience new tastes, sounds, smell, and visuals; charming gardens and parks; and so on. Whether you are a tourist, resettled local, or were born here, Staunton is a unique and charming American city.
Here, we want to share with you books and other resources to learn more about Staunton and the area, Staunton's enthusiastic community, and tips to support your Staunton experience.
History and Architecture
Staunton is known for its well-preserved historic architecture. The Staunton look is significantly impacted by TJ Collins & Son architectural firm. One of the books we recommend today, Staunton by Sergei Troubetzkoy, provides a good overview of Staunton's historic buildings. This book is a part of the Images of America series and focuses on historical and cultural aspects of the town supported by stories of various historic buildings.
Historically, Staunton is known as the birthplace of Woodrow Wilson whose house is well preserved and provides historical perspective on that era along with lectures and research opportunities within the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum; a home for Augusta Female Seminary, currently known as Mary Baldwin University, and for Virginia School for Deaf and Blind; along with the home for Western State Asylum currently renovated into a gorgeous The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center. A Guide to Historic Staunton by Edmund Potter covers all of this and more - did you know that Staunton briefly served as Virginia's capital?
If you want to dive deeper, read books and stories by Staunton historian Charles Culbertson. The Staunton, Virginia Anthology consist of 87 chapters of Staunton stories first published in this edition; the Staunton Virginia: A treasury of Historic Tales adds 35 more chapters of little-known stories of the movers, shakers, saints, and scalawags who made Staunton the Queen City of the Shenandoah.
If you want to learn more about other perspectives from Staunton's history, including the colored balcony at the Strand Theater and the segregated city parks, we recommend the In Their Words: Growing Up in Segregated Staunton and Augusta County, Virginia by Laten Ervin Bechtel which contains thirty interviews of Staunton local African Americans who experienced living in the segregated Staunton and witnessed its desegregation. This book is available in our outstanding Staunton Public Library.
Of course, our overview would not be complete without a book published by Staunton Books. This book equips kids with information on Staunton, along with coloring and creative activities, and can be a good guide when walking Staunton Downtown - Bunny Goes to Staunton.
Nature and Adventure
Locating in the middle of Shenandoah Valley and between the Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and George Washington National Forest, Surrounded by Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains of the Appalachian Mountains, Staunton offers easy access to wilderness - hiking, biking, boating, and foraging. We added to our collection a few books on Staunton nature and nearby parks, including the Virginia State Parks by Sharon Ewing, an overview of the Virginia state parks development.
Culture and Communities
Most of the books for this section have yet to be written, but we could not miss the Staunton culture and communities in our overview, equipping you with helpful information and links. And honestly, it is hard to decide where to start the story on Staunton's cultural scene. We have advanced communities of theater, film, music, art, and literature creators and admirers.
Let's start with a book! Beginning in 2001, Staunton is known as the primary place for Shakespearians of all kinds - the American Shakespeare Center was opened. The Shakespeare in the Theatre: The American Shakespeare Center by
Paul Menzer explores the history, practices, and impact of this company and the theater that became one of the reasons you see a lot of people with Staunton maps in their hands walking downtown all year round. What people do not know, and we usually fill this gap if we can when they stop in our shop, is that ASC is not the only fantastic theater in Staunton. We have ShenanArts - the community theater with Broadway-level musicals, the Silver Line Theatre Exchange - the education-led theater with impressive plays and classes for all ages, the outdoor Oak Grove Theater introduced its first performance in 1954, The Off Center that brings people together to experience curious stories through theater, puppetry, literature, and storytelling.
This book will introduce the Staunton's music scene - The Music of the Statler Brothers by Don Reid, one of the original members of the Statler Brothers, provide you with a comprehensive history of the premier group in country music that was born in Staunton.
From history to nowadays, currently, Staunton is well-known among classical music fans. The annual Staunton Music Festival brings musicians from all around the world organizing a diverse variety of performances. Every summer, the Heifetz International Music Institute brings the most promising young violinists, violists, and cellists from dozens of countries turning Staunton downtown into a large rehearsal area with the following concert series. Caravanserai Music brings the community together to experience music in a special way - we love their children-friendly music performances where the audience doesn't sit still and quiet during the concert but rather can move, dance, and play. Beyond that, we are lucky to have the Americana music tradition with The Judy Chops and their bi-annual Staunton Jams music festival; the Summer Bandstand Entertainment at Gypsy Hill Park with free concerts and a variety of music genres; and Marino's famous jams.
Staunton is also a big art community. Staunton Augusta Art Center hosts exhibitions and art classes; CoArt Gallery is a coop of local artists with regular events and exhibition space, Beverley Street Studio School hosts exhibitions, classes, and lectures; Staunton Outside Arts is a grassroot art initiative highlighting local artists; Art Hive is the place to unleash your creativity with arts and crafts; The R.R. Smith Center is the gallery with regular art and historic exhibitions; The Artisans Loft is a space where you can find work of local artisans and artists also hosting events and performances; and the Sunspots Studios is a gallery, shop, and opportunity to discover the art of glassblowing.
Literary Staunton
And, of course, Staunton is a very literary town with multiple bookstores covering various needs: Bargain Books, Barrister's Books, Poe's Place, Staunton Books & Tea, The Avocado Pit, The Book Dragon Shop, Wisdom Bookstore, and Words Matter Gift Shop. And you could not miss our amazing Staunton Public Library - a great library where you can find everything from books and movies to music instruments and parks passes; and if you do not have a habit to buy books, you can get them in the library and they even can purchase a book by your request.
More Resources
Sign up for the SDDA (Staunton Downtown Development Association) and Visit Staunton weekly emails to be on top what is going on in Staunton.
Staunton VA Facebook group is a good community to ask questions and get information from the community.
Do you think we should add any valuable information or resources to this article? Send us a note and we will fix it.
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