Happy Halloween!

The only work I have been able to do lately was to look up a few things about some family landmarks. So while nothing here will be earth shattering for researchers of the family, I hope my family will take some time to check these places out!

I wish I had some kind of fun, spooky story to share this month. But we just don't have any good ghost stories, at least not that I have found!

Maybe there are some at the Zirkle Mill! If you haven't checked out the Zirkle Mill, you should. It was started by the Zirkle brothers (my 5th great grandfather Michael Zirkle and his brothers. His brother Andrew ran the mill and it is owned by Andrew's descendants today) when they moved to Shenandoah from Pennsylvania in the mid 1700s. It still stands today. Here are some resources to learn more and see pictures:

The Zirkle Mill: The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Zirkle Mill Wikipedia entry
The Zirkle Mill Foundation
The Historic Zirkle Mill
Some photos: The Andrew Zirkle Mill (blog)
A mention in another blog (with photos): More on Zirkle Mill
Historic Marker for Zirkle Mill
The org that worked to save the mill: Old Dominion Preservation

If you are in the area and can visit, do! I have a file of photos given to me by a kind lady on a mailing list I belong to, and they are AMAZING! So beautiful out there in Shenandoah.

Maybe there are some ghosties at these other Zirkle and Shaffer and Roush family landmarks!
 
A good read if you have some time -  Shenandoah Valley Churches

St. Mary's Pine Church and cemetery - definitely going to be some ghosts here I bet! St. Mary's is a later version of the original Old Pine Church Lutheran congregation that was the church my ancestors attended in New Market, Virginia.  The Old Pine Church was where all of Michael Zirkle, my 5th great grandfather's children were baptized.
St Mary's Pine Church and Cemetery  - this site lists some of the burials here, and they are newer ones.
St. Mary's (with picture)
Zirkle Reunion St Mary's Pine Church - Zirkle reunion is one of my favorite blogs.This link will take you to the article on St. Mary's, but if you have some time, check out the whole blog.


Solomon's Lutheran Church - was originally built on land donated by Henry Rausch, I know he's related to my Rausch/Roush family but not sure how yet. Michael Zirkle was an elder of the church.
Solomon's Lutheran Church and Cemetery

The following churches all also have some significance in the Shaffer, Zirkle, and Roush story:

Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church -  some great photos (go to History), and you can see what an early Lutheran church would have looked like.

And most likely these places have some ghosts:

As you saw mentioned in the Zirkle Mill pages, New Market was involved in the Civil War - thankfully, the Mill was saved. Here is some information on the Battle of New Market:
The Battle of New Market

[My line had left New Market by the time of the Civil War, but I do know that Noah Zirkle, the son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Wolgamood) Zirkle was a Private in the VA militia during the Civil War. I know about him because my 3rd great grandfather, Noah Zirkle, son of Abraham Zirkle, is CONSTANTLY mistaken for his cousin Noah. (They both married Lydias - but my Noah and Lydia lived in Ohio!)]

This is probably a good site about New Market but with the gov't shutdown I can't view it today. It's a National Parks Service site so probably some good stuff. Keep checking back:  New Market, VA NPS
Maybe there will be some haunted houses mentioned there.

Happy Haunting!