Our Community Story
We are proud of the wonderful town of Abingdon!
About/ the History of Abingdon
The town of Abingdon is a historic and friendly town located in southwest Virginia. It is a town that has a lot of charm and a great sense of community. People in Abingdon help each other out, and the town has a great history. Abingdon is home to the famous Barter Theatre, where people come together to watch plays and celebrate the arts. The history of Abingdon as a community has a lot to do with working together, being proud of the town’s history, and working together to make Abingdon a great place to live. Abingdon has shown that a close-knit community is a great way to preserve history while building a great future. Our community has faced many hardships but we have persevered through it together as a community.
Abingdon is a friendly community because we are always welcoming to people visiting or moving into town. We are known for being a very humble and inclusive town. Abingdon is known for being the town of love, pride, and compassion. Our community currently has approximately 8,300 residents. We show love to our town and community by supporting local businesses by doing the “Best of Abingdon” campaign making residents support their favorite businesses. The community of Abingdon has shown many things that include compassion, pride, love, and admiration to our humble town..
Abingdon has many historical buildings in our community! (A few of those buildings are listed on the home page, or on the map) You can see the history of Abingdon by going to the William King Museum. You can also see the nature of Abingdon by going out to the Creeper Trail. You can get some entertainment by going to see one of the many shows at the Barter Theater, and if your feeling hungry after, go enjoy the wonderful food at the Tavern! If you want to see the history of the battles fought in Abingdon; go to the Abingdon Muster Grounds where the battle of Kings Mountain happened. You also go to The Martha Washington Inn and Spa to rest, play, or enjoy a nice saltwater pool. There are many historical buildings that anyone can visit around Abingdon.
A time we have persevered as a community was when Hurricane Helene hit in 2024. After all the damage caused by the hurricane, our community only had minimal damage. Our community helped the surrounding counties that were severely ruined by going out and helping to the best of our ability. Another time we persevered was during the Civil War when we were attacked by Union troops under General Stoneman who caused widespread damage to the town. We also persevered as a community when Captain James Wyatt, seeking revenge against a local judge, set fire to the courthouse which caused us to lose many county records–the courthouse was rebuilt. Abingdon has been through hardships; but we have always persevered through them all.
Facts:
- Abingdon was Named “Best Small Town Food Scene” by USA Today 10Best Readers from 2019-2022.– Click to see a list of Abingdon’s top food places!
- Abingdon is called “Sister City” because there is a city in England named Abingdon, which is where our town got it’s name. Both Abingdons have a red phone booth.
- Our town has a population of 8,375 people, when last recorded in 2020
