Founded in 1746 as Augusta Parish, Trinity is the oldest church in Staunton and one of the first Episcopal congregations west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first building was completed in 1763. English architect James Wood Johns designed the present church, the third on the site, which was built between 1852 and 1855 in the Early Gothic Revival style. The beautiful interior features many stained glass windows, twelve of which by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

As the first school for the deaf and the blind and one of the oldest schools in Virginia, the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind (VSDB) was established in Staunton by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on March 31, 1838 and officially opened in 1839.

Downtown Staunton contains many examples of Virginia’s finest Victorian architecture. Some of the most notable can be seen in the Beverley Historic District, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Most of the buildings in this area date from the 1870s to the 1920s.

Thornrose Cemetery is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. Combining human and architectural history and landscaped beauty, Thornrose Cemetery is yet another compelling reason to visit Staunton.

Staunton is an award-winning Virginia Main Street community with 270 businesses, 30 restaurants, 80 specialty stores, antiques, service businesses and salons, all within a in historically preserved setting featuring Victorian and several unique forms of architecture. Downtown Staunton is know for it's theatre scene including the Blackfriar’s Playhouse at The American Shakespeare Center, The Visulite and The Silver Line. On your own you may also visit the Farmer’s Market (Saturdays, Apr – Nov), The Antique Fire Engine Museum, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Birthplace, the R. R. Smith Center for Arts and History, and Mary Baldwin College.