Page News & Courier
Heritage and Heraldry
Early geographical history of Page County
Article of December 4, 1997
Formed by a division of lands from both eastern Shenandoah and northern Rockingham Counties, Page County came into existence in 1831. More closely resembling the cultural makeup of Shenandoah County due to most of descendants of German Palatine immigrants, Page County had remained a predominantly German speaking area well into the middle 1800's. By the time of the formation of the county, the residents had become more bilingual.
Not unlike the surrounding counties, Page too had become quite productive in farming, eventually leading to the reason that the counties of the Shenandoah Valley would become to be known as the "breadbasket of the Confederacy." In time the counties would abound in sawmills, merchant flour mills, grist mills, hemp mills, oil mills, tan yards and, for the abundance of iron ore available in the area, blast furnaces and forges.
The rich and fertile lands of Page County lay in the shadow of the Blue Ridge to the east while the Massanutten Mountain provides the western edge of the county. The main waterways of Page County were the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and the Hawksbill Creek. Before the Civil War, flatboats aided in the shipment of flour, meat, lumber and rocks from Port Republic, down the Shenandoah to Harper's Ferry, but was limited to available high waters. Also gracing the Page Valley were various springs.
The road system in Page consisted largely of the macadamized type being graded and rounded higher in the middle allowing for better runoff of rain water. The "centerline" road was the Luray-Front Royal Turnpike, completed in 1851. When this road was formed it was "cleared 30 feet wide, constructed 18 feet wide (with) no grade over 4 degrees." The turnpike later connected with the Rockingham Turnpike. Being the main road in Page, in 1851, $20,000 was allotted for two bridges [the eventual Columbia and White House (covered) bridges] and $10,000 to "metal" portions of the pike between Front Royal and Luray.
Other important roads within the county would include the New Market - Sperryville Turnpike which crossed the Massanutten or Luray Gap and Thornton's Gap. The New Market - Gordonsville Turnpike connected to the above mentioned pike at an intersection at the eastern foot of the Massanutten and passed over Columbia Bridge at Alma, passing through Marksville and across the Blue Ridge through Fisher's Gap. Yet another pike crossed Milam's Gap across Tanner's Ridge near Marksville.
The village of Luray, actually founded in 1812, before the formation of Page County, is the county seat of Page. Page's Roman Revival court house, completed in 1833, still stands today on one of the highest points in the town. The building was designed and constructed by William B. Phillips and Malcolm F. Crawford who were formerly employed by Thomas Jefferson. Though threatened at different instances throughout history, the building is very much in its original form including the arcaded one-story wings.
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