This post was updated after the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District replaced 3 signs in the town during the summer of 2025. The three signs that were replaced are at The Point, The Kemper House and the Cemetery.
Listed below are stops I made on a tour of the town of Port Republic. None of the images below were taken on private property. The houses are easily visible from the street.
Stop 1- Cherry Grove- 38.2859329, -78.8155317. Stonewall Jackson moved his headquarters here prior to the battle on the 9th.
Stop 2- The North River Bridge Site- 38.2968333, -78.8098611
Stop 3- The Point- 38.2961111, -78.8096944- the sign here interprets the joining of the North and South Rivers to form the Shenandoah River. However, to see it I would have needed to cross what appeared to be private property. The joining point is easily visible from the town boat ramp (stop 10). Shown below is the new sign that replaced the previous version.
Stop 4- The Frank Kemper House also site of the Port Republic Museum- 38.295667, -78.8108333. Turner Ashby’s body was taken here on June 6th after he was killed in Harrisonburg. The body was then sent to Charlottesville where he was originally before it was reinterred in Winchester. The large sign in the parking lot has become weathered over time. The pictures I show of it were taken several years ago. On a future visit I hope to see the inside of the museum.
On my visit in October 2025 the sign below was not present.
Stop 5- The Palmer Lot- Site of the Middle Ford at Bradburn Park
Stop 6- The Patterson Log House- across from the street from the Bradburn Park parking lot. It was here at the time of the battle.
Stop 7- The Dundore-Downs House- 8499 Water Street. It was also present at the time of the battle.
Stop 8- The Riverside Graveyard- 38.2925278, -78.818444. The sign states that there are 7 Confederate soldiers buried here but I could only find one. The gravestones are heavily weathered.
Stop 9- Madison Hall- 38.294, -78.8201944. Home of Dr. George Kemper it served as Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters. He was almost captured here on the morning of June 8th and it was the site of the Confederate reserve ammunition train. The original house no longer stands although the present home is said to be built on part of its foundation.
Stop 10- The Lower Ford and Site Where the North and South Rivers Join to Form the South Fork of the Shenandoah River- 38.2949021, -78.8124378. These pictures were taken from the boat launch at the site where the North and South Rivers join to form the South Fork of the Shenandoah River.
You must be logged in to post a comment.