Emma Lyon Bryan, 1838-1916. Detail from original painting, depicting the agricultural landscape east of Harrisonburg with Massanutten Peak in the distance. Bryan, an artist, musician, and author, was born in Richmond, Virginia. She moved to Harrisonburg in 1864 and later founded several schools for girls. Rocktown History Collection, rocktownhistory.org
Walk the heritage of the Shenandoah Valley.
Explore the churches, homesteads, and gathering places of the Anabaptist communities who shaped this region — from the 1700s to today.
A trail through living history
For nearly three centuries, Anabaptist families — Mennonite, Old Order Mennonite, and Brethren — have built churches, raised homesteads, and tended fields across the Shenandoah Valley and the West Virginia highlands. The Anabaptist Trail invites you to visit these places respectfully, learn the stories behind them, and trace the lines of a faith tradition still very much alive today.
Explore by site type
Six categories of historical landmarks across the trail.
Featured Landmark
Mannheim (c. 1788)
Built about 1788 along Wengers Mill Road near Linville, Mannheim was home to the Kauffman family, linked to Michael Kauffman, the first Mennonite minister in Rockingham County.
Become a member
Support the Anabaptist Trail's preservation work, join our guided bus tours, and help us tell more of these stories. Your annual membership keeps the trail alive for the next generation.
Learn About Membership