The School Teacher’s Cabin enjoys a peaceful, private creekside location at historic Wade’s Mill in the
beautiful Shenandoah Valley midway between Lexington and Staunton. The cabin is only 10 minutes off
Interstate 81 (Exit 205) but the secluded, rural location is a world away.
The School Teacher's Cabin sits in a grove of trees at the end of a private lane, bordered by Ott’s Creek
and surrounded by woods and pasture. There is flat walking path along the pasture and creek. You
might spot a heron, kingfisher or the cattle who graze in the adjoining pasture.
Originally built c.1820-40 for the school teacher of a German-speaking community west of Lexington,
the cabin was relocated to Wade’s Mill in 1992.
The living room, dining room and the two upstairs bedrooms (one with queen bed and one with twin
beds) are the original early 19th c. cabin. The fully-equipped kitchen, recently refurbished bathroom and
creekside deck are “modern” additions.
In the summer of 2018, the cabin was freshly furnished and upgraded with central AC/heating and new
appliances, new bathroom shower and sink and in early 2019, high speed fiber optic internet/wifi and a
SMART TV was added.
This rural gem, combining modern comforts with historic charm, was made available to the public for
the first time in 2019.
Enjoy a drink on the deck or have your meal on the picnic table under the trees, with the babbling creek
as a backdrop. Catch a glimpse of our resident great blue heron and kingfisher. After dark, the fireflies
are magical in the summer and away from city lights, you’ll enjoy a big, brilliant sky full of stars year
round.
Wade’s Mill (c. 1750), Virginia’s oldest continuously operating commercial grist mill, is at the other end
of the private lane. During opening hours (Thur-Sun, 10-5), you can have a tour with the Miller, explore
three floors of historic milling equipment and museum displays and enjoy the beautifully landscaped
gardens.
Further afield, there is plenty to explore in the surrounding area. Lexington, home to Washington and
Lee University, Virginia Military Institute and the Virginia Horse Center, is 25 minutes south. Staunton,
home to the American Shakespeare Center, the Frontier Culture Museum and the Woodrow Wilson
Presidential Library and Museum, is 30 minutes north. Both towns are known for their vibrant arts,
dining and boutique shopping scenes.
For tasting adventures, choose from local craft breweries, a cidery and award-winning wineries. Our
neighbor, Rockbridge Vineyard and Brewery, is just 5 minutes up the road.
Virginias newest state park, Natural Bridge, once owned by Thomas Jefferson and listed on the National
Register of Historic Places, is an easy 35 minute drive south on I81. Once there, don't miss the Virginia
Safari Park which is a fun outing for all ages.
Charlottesville, with two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, UVA and Monticello, is an easy day trip, just an
hour up and over the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
You are spoiled for choice of recreational opportunities. Road biking enthusiasts have a choice of many circuit trips through beautiful countryside right from the property. Rockbridge County offers a range of hiking trails of various distances and for all abilities. The Blue Ridge Parkway, Natural Bridge State Park and George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are within easy reach. The nearby Maury River has Virginia’s most challenging whitewater run for kayaking, as well as several good swimming spots. On a gentler note, the James Rivers offers swimming, tubing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. Massanutten and Wintergreen ski resorts are approximately an hour away.
And after your busy day out and about, you’ll look forward to returning to the quiet, peaceful, relaxing
School Teacher’s Cabin on the banks of Ott’s Creek.
A bit of history: The cabin dates c. 1820-1840 and was built by the Tod or Todd community of German
settlers just west of Lexington, in what is now Kerr’s Creek, for their school teacher. At that time, most
of the small Shenandoah Valley communities taught school in their church and housed their teacher
among the families. The Todd community was affluent enough to build a school teacher’s cabin, to
attract a higher caliber of teacher. They also built a separate school house.
In 1992, the cabin’s stonework foundation, timbers, floor boards and chimney were labeled and
numbered, carefully dismantled, transported and restored to its current location on Ott’s Creek. A
kitchen, bathroom and deck were added across the back, where the original porch used to be.
Many of the cabin’s original features, e.g. window openings, front and back doors, stairs to the sleeping
loft instead of a ladder and the brick chimney top, were not usual features of contemporary cabins and reflect the relative wealth of the Tod/Todd community. The brick chimney top was a traditional
Shenandoah Valley style used as a sign of affluence. The bricks were handmade and signed in a kiln
outside of Brownsburg.
The Tods/Todds were some of the earliest settlers in western Rockbridge County and by 1778 their
community was known as “Todd’s Creek”. With German as their first language, they pronounced their
name “Toad”. Native English speakers naturally thought of the amphibian and an 1863 Confederate
engineer’s map identified the creek and surrounding area as “Toad Run”, which it has been ever since.
