If you’ve never taken in the view of downtown Staunton from Sears Hill, now’s the time.
It’s a spectacular panoramic scene of the downtown area, now accompanied by four new signs installed by the City this fall. The signs describe Staunton’s historical landmarks as viewed from an overlook adjoining the Sears Hill Bridge, another cherished historical attraction that was saved, restored and reopened in 2013.
While observing the cityscape, visitors can now identify Staunton’s five historic districts, which are mapped and labeled on the markers, and pinpoint some of the City’s most prominent historical landmarks. Each landmark is accompanied by a brief summary of its history. A lithographic print of Staunton as it looked on the eve of the Civil War by German artist Edward Beyer is also featured, as is a panel on the history of Sears Hill.
Frazier Associates designed the signs and wrote the text with considerable information from Historic Staunton Foundation files, while local historians and writers Nancy Sorrells and Katharine Brown provided editorial assistance.
The signs were made possible through funds raised by the Friends of the Sears Hill Bridge Committee. Nearly $4,000 from the Sears Hill Bridge restoration fund were used to construct the informational signs. Funds for the Sears Hill Bridge restoration project are managed by The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge.
City Manager Steve Owen said: “These signs provide visitors to the overlook with historical reference points that really complement this beautiful view of the city. They are a wonderful addition to Woodrow Park and a fitting final piece to the community’s successful Sears Hill Bridge project.”
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