Abingdon Travel Guide

Introduction

49 miles SW of Wytheville; 133 miles SW of Roanoke; 315 miles SW of Richmond; 437 miles SW of Washington, D.C.

While on his first expedition to Kentucky in 1760, Daniel Boone tramped across the 2,000-foot-high Holston Valley and camped at the base of a hill near a small settlement known as Black's Fort. When wolves emerged from a cave and attacked his dogs, Boone named the place Wolf Hill. Boone and other pioneers opened the area for settlement, and by 1778, a thriving community named Abingdon had grown up around Black's Fort and Wolf Hill. The Washington County Courthouse has replaced the fort, but Boone's cave is still there, behind one of the historic buildings on tree-shaded Main Street.

Indeed, Abingdon today looks much as it did in those early years, making it one of Virginia's most picturesque small towns and one of my favorites to visit. Its beauty and historical charm have attracted more than its share of actors, artists, craftspeople, and even a few writers. Visitors...