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Abingdon Walks
When Abingdon was laid out almost 250 years ago it was in a compact, neat grid. According to Margaret Rogers Davis, by 1789 “the town had three long streets, Main, Water (later Park), and Valley; four cross streets, Tanner, Court, Brewer and Slaughter; two alleys, Chinquepin (now Plum Alley) and Troopers.” The orientation was roughly East-NE/West-SW (following the general direction of the present Norfolk and Western rail line). In their description of the Fields-Penn House, the Society of Architectural Historians note that “this end of town was a vital part of the community, but growth moved east and left it stranded for a time... .” Indeed, looking at a map of Abingdon in 1834 it appears that most growth in the town was east and north of the original plan. Growth in Abingdon in modern times extends down towards and beyond Interstate 81 and Southwest in the direction of Bristol, with Cummings St. as the midpoint. But the basic grid, i.e. The Historic District, is still intact and our walking tour will be largely confined to that portion of town.
The confluence of points of interest in “Abingdon Walks”, the axis which it revolves around, is at the corner of Main and Cummings where Fields-Penn is located with Depot Square and Sinking Spring Cemetery on one side and the majority of the historic sites featured in Nanci King’s Places in Time on the other. Valley St. The Creeper Trail and possible sites of Black’s Fort are nearby and Panicella, and The Muster Grounds are at further remove, with the Urban Pathway loosely tying them all together.
"Fields-Penn House Museum," Anne Carter Lee. SAH Archipedia
Note: "...the home now serves as the Abingdon Visitor Infromation Center and is no longer a house museum.
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