Living in Stephens City and enjoying the valley life

My wife and I retired and moved to Stephens City, VA. We are pleasantly enjoying "The Valley" life. We have found people here to be mostly down to earth, resourceful, friendly to outsiders and possessing a reverence for church, nature and our prolific history. It is a wonderful little town in an enchanting valley composed of generally kind, generous, loyal, independant and noble people.

Visually the Shenandoah Valley seasonal rhythms are stunning year round. Spring and summer are lush with hints of natural greens, autumn brings another patchwork of color and winter's cooler temperatures and barren trees improve visibility, making the valley below and mountains beyond even more spectacular. The Valley's natural resources, fertile soil, abundant water and moderate climate have contributed to its position as one of the most dynamic regions in Virginia and the Eastern United States.

A generation ago, the primary concern for retirees seeking a new location was a hospitable climate. Today, financial considerations figure much more heavily. Reasonable cost of living and house pricing are important to folks, as well as factors that will ensure one can sell their home quickly (upon the death of a spouse or need for a hands-on living facility). Most importantly for seniors, a full-service medical facility is desired within a sensible driving distance.

Experts recommend seeking communities with populations greater than 10,000, as less densely populated areas may have lower levels of human services. The community should be continually developing and have qualities that attract newcomers like natural endowments for recreational land, visible history such as landmark buildings and historic monuments and a vibrant economy where people can find part-time employment. It should also have a well-funded police force, and be relatively close to good retail shopping and a major media market. I believe Stephens City meets all of these criteria.

Stephens City was founded as Stephensburg on October 12, 1758 and originally settled by individuals of Scottish, Scotts-Irish, Irish and German ancestry. In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth centuries, Stephens City, then known as Newtown/Stephensburg, became prosperous as a crossroads village with small scale industries, featuring production of the renowned Newtown wagon. The Newtown wagon became legendary for its sturdiness among both Virginia farmers and settlers migrating to the far West, including the Gold Rush of 1849.

The Newtown's economy was disrupted by its strategic location in the midst of conflict during the Civil War. Old transportation related industries gradually disappeared; however, the town continued to survive and eventually found its place serving the local industrial, educational, health and social service base. This unique little town has a mix of typical agriculture, orchard land and low, wooded foothills tangled in Virginia creeper and prickly greenbrier. It is situated at the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley between the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains to the East and the Allegheny Mountains (part of the Appalachian Range) to the West and remarkably retains its small-town main street character after two centuries of expansion.

The Newtown History Center is maintained by the Stone House Foundation and includes a museum that reflects the story of the ordinary people who lived, worked and prospered here. The Foundation is a collecting institution with a mission to preserve the very high degree of historical integrity and interpret the material culture of the town. The annual Newtown Heritage Festival during Memorial Day Weekend promotes the historical significance of Stephens City and fosters a sense of community pride. The two-day event celebrates the small-town heritage of Stephens City with a Memorial Day observance at the Veterans Memorial, craft show, food vendors, live music at Newtown Commons, pie eating, famous barbecue chicken, selfie tour, and main street parade with marching bands, guided trolley history tours, car show and scintillating fireworks. During the summer and fall months, reservations are required for the guided Civil War walking tour and there is also a self-guided walking tour that includes a map of the old town.

The mountains produce an especially temperate climate for the region. Summers are warm, mostly calm and humid with periodic rainy spells and thunderstorms. Winters can be cold and wet, but severe effects of northwesterly icy blasts are moderated by the two mountain ranges. Periods of heavy rain or snow may occur with storms moving up off the Atlantic. Spring and especially fall are extremely pleasant and considered by locals to be the best times of the year. The first freeze usually arrives in late October, the last comes in mid-April.

The strong sense of community is bound by resident's loyalty to Sherando High School and the Warrior sports programs. The Warriors very successful football team creates a great deal of energy and excitement both from the students and the Middletown and Stephens City communities. The football team makes the state playoffs just about every year. Huge, wild and crazy crowds pack the fabled Arrowhead Stadium with the pregame and half time entertainment considered to be one of the best in the state.

The local facilities include the 330 acre Sherando Park District which houses several trails, ponds, a fishing lake, outdoor pool, lighted sports fields and also supports great youth and adult programs. The beautiful Mary Jane and James L. Bowman Library is located on Tasker Road. There is ample parking, a large selection of books and DVDs, a wonderful children's section, and a pond with benches for enjoying outdoor reading. The nearby Family Drive-In Theatre is an awesome all-digital outdoor movie watching experience, has great value and is the only remaining drive-in theater operating in the Washington/Northern Virginia metropolitan area.

Three historic churches reside within the town limits. Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stephens City United Methodist Church and Orrick Chapel were founded in 1765, 1775 and 1869 respectively. The town also includes Baptist, Presbyterian, Mennonite, Pentecostal, and a number of non-denominational churches. These churches promote positive community outreach ranging from building partnerships in neighborhoods, sharing resources to address crime, poverty, sickness and hopelessness and increasing levels of volunteering.

The Winchester Medical Center is an award-winning 495-bed regional referral facility offering a broad spectrum of services that includes diagnostic, medical, surgical and rehabilitative care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The hospital is the only Level II Trauma Center in the region, and is an essential resource for the residents in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The medical center is located 9 miles north of Stephens City.

There are a range of activities and festivals during the spring and summer months. All are invited to the best free dinner offered in South Frederick County at Trinity Lutheran Church where people say the congregation serves love on a plate. The monthly dinner is always scheduled on the last Wednesday of the month. Stephens City UMC hosts a huge 4,000 egg Easter Hunt with a legenday maze on Newtown Commons during Easter Week. The Shawquon Ruritan Club hosts their annual Car, Truck and Tractor Show each August on the Newtown Commons. Stephens City participates in the Route 11 Yard Crawl. A yearly event held during the second Saturday in August, the Yard Crawl is a 43-mile-long yard sale that stretches from Stephens City's Newtown Commons through seven historic towns to New Market. Finally one cannot fail to mention the legendary ten-day Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival that takes place each May in Winchester.

Good eateries abound around town and include traditional American, Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Asian, Mexican, Italian, and seafood fare. Another positive experience would be Gore's Fresh Meat & Deli offering retail cuts of meat, smoked meats, lunch meats, cheeses and local products in a traditional style butcher shop. You can still buy meat the way your great grandparents did straight from a good local family operated butcher.

Retirees desire to live lives filled with joy, purpose and significance. If you're looking for such a place to spend your sunset years (no longer having full time employment), I suggest giving Stephens City a visit. It just might make for the perfect location to begin setting a new agenda for the weeks, months and years ahead.