Blackthorne Inn & Restaurant

History

In 1775, Lord Fairfax deeded the land to George Washington for survey work. Did George Washington ever sleep here? Present owner, Shane O’Connor, is reluctant to make that claim, since it can’t be absolutely proved. He prefers to simply point out the document transferring ownership from Lord Fairfax to Washington.

Originally known as Greystone House, this property was the site of considerable fighting during the Civil War, as was the surrounding area in general. Nearby, Ashby Gap’s was a strategic focal point for both sides in the Civil War because of its proximity to Winchester and the fact that whichever side controlled the Gap also controlled the access to the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley from the east. The Grey Ghost, Colonel John S. Mosby, staged many of his famous raids in and around this area, and his Raiders figure prominently in local history and folklore. At one point, Union soldiers stored horses behind the Blackthorne Inn until confederate troops drove them off the property.

When the former owners purchased the property in 1970, the front door still bore scars where Yankee soldiers had kicked it in. They set about restoring the place; first as a country get-away for themselves and later as a bed and breakfast, opening the 1763 Inn and Restaurant in April of 1986. The current owners, The O’Connor family, purchased the 1763 Inn in April of 2007 and renamed it The Blackthorne Inn.

The Blackthorne Inn remains a quiet and peaceful place. However, folklore holds that on a clear moonlit night, one can sometimes hear horses’ hooves and see ghosts of Mosby’s Raiders galloping across the Blue Ridge.

Real or just a legend?…. You be the judge!