Walking in Fredericksburg

Making new friends in Fredericksburg

Mid-December found us enjoying good food and shopping in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In addition to unique restaurants, there are also a couple of good bookstores for bibliophiles. The town as has been the site for many important historical events, some of which will be explored in future posts. But this time it was a limited visit, I took a long walk around the town and observed some interesting building.

The exploration of Fredericksburg reminded me of an important maxim I share with students: If you want to know a city, you must walk the city. Walking south on Caroline Street, I was surprised at the number of extant eighteenth century homes remained in Fredericksburg.

Walk signal on Caroline Street

The downtown section of the city retains a small-town Americana feel. The pedestrian indicators retain the green “walk” sign that was prevalent when I was a kid.  Old drugstores and businesses with lunch counters are still operating in the center of town as well.

Old Power Station between Caroline Street and
Rappahonnock River

Looking through the power station to the River

A fascinating derelict building on the banks of the Rappahannock River is an abandoned power station for the Virginia Electric and Power Company. The station, which is at the intersection of Ford and Caroline Streets, looks to have been abandoned several years ago.