ABINGDON, VA – THE MARTHA WASHINGTON INN AND BARTER THEATRE

As a volunteer travel escort, I am constantly searching for some new, unique area I believe our senior travelers will really enjoy. Perhaps the most enticing, quaint, charming little town we visited this year was Abingdon, Virginia. A Virginia Historic Landmark, Abingdon, chartered in 1778, is among the oldest towns west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Early visitors included Native Americans who honored the area, so rich in history and natural beauty, as sacred ground and refused to settle or even hunt there. Today, visitors can still enjoy that same beauty, but with modern amenities. Abingdon is best known for The Martha Washington Inn, aka as "The Martha," and the historic Barter theatre.

We arrived at the Visitor’s Center where a guide awaited us for a delightful tour of the town of Abingdon including White’s Mill. The mill was originally built in 1790 as Moffett’s Mill, purchased in 1838 by Colonel James White and restored in 1866 as White’s Mill and is one of only a few water-powered grist mills still in existence in Virginia. Also included was an enjoyable tour of the restored Fields-Penn 1960 House Museum, a typical pre-war era home.

Next was the Martha Washington Inn where we were greeted warmly by the hotel staff and escorted to our rooms. Each room in the inn is different and unique in its own way, very elegant, historic and relaxing. "The Martha" was originally built in 1832 as a private home for General Francis Preston and his wife. It later served as a Civil War hospital as well as The Martha Washington College for Women. It opened as the inn in 1935, and still reflects much grandeur and historical charm and as explained on a tour of the hotel, is home to many powerful legends that are part of the history and charm of this exquisite Virginia inn, a splendor associated with the grand hotels of a bygone era, a history 170 years in the making.

After an enjoyable evening meal at "The Martha" we walked across the street to The Barter Theatre, designated in 1946 as the State Theatre of Virginia which got its name from bartering. The building was first constructed in 1831 as a new location for Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church and later acquired by the Sons of Temperance. When this group ceased to operate, their trustees gave the building to the Town of Abingdon. The theatre was opened in June 1933, at the height of the Depression, by Robert Porterfield, an unemployed actor from Southwest Virginia. The cost for a performance was 35 cents, or the equivalent in food; patrons mostly brought canned goods or produce. Some unusual items used for admission included a live hog and a dead rattlesnake. Playwrights Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams and Thornton Wilder took home Virginia ham as payment while George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian, took home spinach. The Barter heritage is continued today as the admission to at least one performance a year is by donation of food given to an area food bank.

Some of the Barter’s best known alumni include: Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal, Ernest Borgnine, Ned Beatty, Gary Collins and Kevin Spacey. Lining the walls inside the theatre are pictures of actors who have performed at the Barter. In 2005, Barter Theatre celebrated its 72^nd birthday and remains one of the longest-running/professional equity theatres in the nation. Our group was luck enough to see a great production of Singin’ In The Rain." It was like seeing and hearing Gene Kelly, all over again.

As time was limited, we did a quick walk to downtown Abingdon (a shopper’s delight) along shaded brick sidewalks enriching 200-year-old landmarks, small shops to larger galleries to fine restaurants, outdoor eateries and corner cafes.

Saying goodbye, we left our most gracious host, the town of Abingdon as it was preparing for the Virginia Highlands Festival; from tents filled with fine arts, crafts and antiques, to shopping at open-air markets, to attending performances and literary arts, local history, home and garden events and fun for kids of all ages! This festival is family oriented and has been named one of the top 100 tourist events in North America. All during the year there are different festivals abounding in Abingdon, VA. We/I shall return.

©Caroline S. Taylor, 2005