By Linda Blachly

If you’re looking for a getaway to Small Town USA, look no further than Martinsburg, W.Va. 

It has all the elements weary city dwellers crave: a walkable main street through town dotted with shops, great family owned restaurants, friendly townfolk, a train station, and a history that locals are proud of and work to preserve.  

Called the Northern Gateway to the Shenandoah Valley, this area is just a 90-minute drive from the Baltimore-Washington region.  Martinsburg is in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia and easily accessible via I-81. 

Martinsburg Roundhouse Center

Your visit to Martinsburg should begin at the Martinsburg Roundhouse Center. Whether or not you’re a train enthusiast, you will be fascinated by the history of the 1842 B&O roundhouse that brought Martinsburg to life and sustained the city after the Civil War decimated the region. It was burned by Confederate troops under Col. Stonewall Jackson in 1862 and again by vandals in 1990.

The complex consists of the West Roundhouse, East Roundhouse, Bridge & Machine Shop and the Frog & Switch Shop, which are rare and outstanding examples of their types, designed by the engineers of the B&O. It is the only cast iron framed roundhouse still standing in the world today.

The Berkeley County Commission is in the middle of a restoration that they hope will breathe new life into the area as a venue for holding a variety of events, including fairs and festivals. Right now they are holding fund-raising events there, such as the Roundhouse Rail Days, which will be held at the Frog & Switch Shop on Oct. 3 and 4. 

The commission just completed a pedestrian bridge that takes you over the tracks from the visitor center to the roundhouse. Tours are by appointment only.  For information, visit www.martinsburgroundhouse.com.

Downtown Martinsburg

You can walk from the roundhouse to Historic Downtown Martinsburg, along Queen Street. If you come on the first Saturday of the month (in season), you will enjoy strolling through three blocks of vendors, music, food, crafters, flea market and fun activities for the family. Be sure to notice the murals throughout the town as part of the town’s Vacant Window Project.

In April 2000, Eva and Francesco Visone heard of a shooting in Chevy Chase, Md., where they lived, near the Washington Zoo. “I’m going to find Small Town America,” Eva remembers telling her husband. And they did. Nine years later, they are the owners of Casa Visone, an elegant Italian restaurant at 120 N. Queen Street. The couple serves up delicious, homemade Italian cuisine. 

Belle Boyd House 

The Belle Boyd House was built in 1853 by Ben Boyd, father of the notorious Civil War spy, Isabella (Belle) Boyd, who evesdropped on Union soldiers and crossed enemy lines to deliver messages to leaders like Stonewall Jackson. A house she lived in at 126E. Race Street in Martinsburg is open to the public Mondays–Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In it, you find information on Belle and an eclectic mixture of local and Civil War-era memorabilia and artifacts. For information, visit www.bchs.org.

General Adam Stephen House

A trip to Martinsburg is not complete without visiting the home of Martinsburg’s founder, General Adam Stephen at 309 East John Street. Stephen provided leadership as a colonel in the French and Indian War and as a major-general during the American Revolution. He acquired the house on 225 acres in 1770. He operated a nearby mill, a distillery and an armory in what was to become the town of Martinsburg. 

The Adam Stephen House is furnished with antique pieces from the period of 1750–1830. Make sure to ask for a tour of the cellar (the cave entrance) in which there is a tunnel leading to downtown Martinsburg. 

In the adjacent Triple Brick Museum, there are many artifacts and memorabilia of the history of life in Old Martinsburg from the 1800s to the early 1900s. 

Cider Mill House B&B

Innkeepers Ed and Kat Cimaglio face a challenge when weary, stressed out guests visit their bed and breakfast in Hedgesville, W.Va., just a short drive from Martinsburg. Their challenge: How to loosen them up and help them relax during their stay. It’s not a hard thing to do at the Cider Mill House B&B at Willow Run Farms. Ed and Kat are warm and welcoming. 

 Cider Mill House, an original 200-year-old stone farmhouse, is the former family home of Kat Zinner Cimaglio. The house is carefully restored and beautifully decorated to reflect the 18th-century farmstead lifestyle. Period lodging rooms, most with private baths, are charming. 

Ed and Kat start your day off with a full gourmet breakfast of either homemade French toast, pancakes or a fancy omelette. Fresh fruit, rolls and pastries, hot tea and coffee, are among the many selections visitors will wake up to before enjoying the beauty of the farm. 

Cows, goats, guinea hens and wild turkeys dot the beautiful landscape. Activities include sitting on the front porch in a rocking chair, listening to the sounds of nature, walking on the three miles of hiking trails around the farm, swimming and breathing in fresh air. Come in, pull up a chair and sit a while! You’ll be glad you did.

For information, visit www.cidermillhouse.com.

For information on the Martinsburg-Berkeley County area, visit www.travelwv.com.