Silver Lake Historic District

Silver Lake Historic District is a Virginia historical marker in Dayton, Rockingham County, dedicated 2021.

Rockingham County · dedicated 2021 · 2110 Silver Lake Road, Dayton

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English American settler Daniel Harrison owned hundreds of acres in this area in the mid-18th century, and Presbyterians built Cooks Creek Church near here ca. 1750. German Baptist Brethren began moving to the Shenandoah Valley from Maryland and Pennsylvania at midcentury, arriving here by 1790. Brethren church member John J. Rife built a dam here ca. 1822, forming Silver Lake, and constructed a flour mill and a sawmill. This complex became the center of a prosperous industrial and agricultural community. A popular recreational site, Silver Lake began supplying water to Dayton and Harrisonburg in the 20th century. The 104-acre district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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More markers nearby

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Fort Harrisonunder 1 mi
Origins of Shenandoah University1 mi
End of the Shenandoah Valley Campaign3 mi