Blue Star Memorial Highway A tribute to the Armed
Albemarle County, Albemarle County, Virginia
Marker Inscription
Blue Star Memorial Highway A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America sponsored by Wenonah Garden Club Shenandoah District V.F.G.C., Inc.in cooperation with Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Transportation
Erected by National Garden Clubs, Inc.
The Story
Begun in 1945, the Blue Star Memorial Highway program honors all who have defended the United States, its emblem taken from the blue-star flags families hung to mark a loved one in service. This Virginia marker, sponsored by the Wenonah Garden Club with the state's highway department, is one link in a chain of tributes running through the Shenandoah country and beyond. The gardens and byways became, together, a quiet monument to service.
Why it matters
Blue Star markers show how ordinary citizens and garden clubs, rather than governments alone, built one of America's most widespread memorials to its armed forces.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Waynesboro Heritage Museum7.0 mi away · 420 West Main Street, Waynesboro, VA
- Plumb House Museum7.3 mi away · 1012 West Main Street, Waynesboro, VA
- Lisa Geiman Studio & Shop10.1 mi away · 2014 Goose Creek Road, Waynesboro, VA
- Rockfish Valley Foundation Natural History Center13.3 mi away
- Fralin Museum of Art14.3 mi away · 155 Rugby Road, Charlottesville, VA
Attractions
- Apple Cannon10.1 mi away
- Endless View Farms10.2 mi away · 2513 Rockfish Road, Crimora, VA
- Ridgely's Fun Park13.0 mi away
Food & drink
- Love2Eat Thai Cuisine4.5 mi away · 540 Radford Lane, Charlottesville, VA
- Subway4.5 mi away · 375 Four Leaf Lane, Crozet, VA
- Crozet Seafood Supply4.6 mi away · 375 Four Leaf Lane, Charlottesville, VA
- Domino's4.6 mi away · 325 Four Leaf Lane, Charlottesville, VA
- Tea House4.6 mi away · 325 Four Leaf Lane, Charlottesville, VA
- Crozet Crepe Company4.6 mi away · 325 Four Leaf Lane, Charlottesville, VA
Places to stay
- Grey Pine Lodge5.0 mi away · 494 Three Notched Mountain Highway, Waynesboro, VA
- Inn at Sugar Hollow Farm6.2 mi away · 6051 Sugar Hollow Road, Crozet, VA
- Belle Hearth Bed & Breakfast7.0 mi away · 320 South Wayne Avenue, Waynesboro, VA
- Quality Inn7.1 mi away · 640 West Broad Street, Waynesboro, VA
- Econo Lodge7.2 mi away · 640 West Broad Street, Waynesboro, VA
- Iris Inn & Cabins7.6 mi away · 191 Chinquapin Drive, Waynesboro, VA
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Blue Star Memorial Highway A tribute to the Armed
Rockingham County, VA
Founded in 1945, the Blue Star Memorial program honors the armed forces that have defended the United States, taking its name from the blue-star service flags of the World War II home front. This marker in Rockingham County was sponsored by the Shenandoah District of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs alongside the state's transportation department. It stands among the valley's rolling farmland as a tribute open to every passing traveler.
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In December 1742, the Shenandoah Valley was a raw frontier where colonial settlers were only beginning to push into land that Native peoples had long traveled. A party of Iroquois moving south along the Great Warriors' Path—a major Indigenous route through the valley—met a band of newly arrived pioneers under Capt. John McDowell near where the Maury River empties into the James. The encounter turned deadly, marking the first recorded bloodshed between the two groups in what would become Rockbridge County. It was a small, chaotic collision, but one that foreshadowed the long and often violent contest over the valley in the decades ahead.
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Bell towers have long stood at the heart of American communities — marking the hours, calling people together, and often rising as lasting memorials to those a town wishes to remember. The Parsons Bell Tower is such a landmark in Hampshire County, one of West Virginia's oldest regions, settled well before the nation's founding. Its bells and stonework give a small community a place of gathering and reflection.
Blue Star Memorial Highway A tribute to the Armed
Berkeley County, WV
Begun in 1945, the Blue Star Memorial program honors the armed forces that have defended the United States, its emblem drawn from the blue-star service flags of World War II. Sponsored by the Shenandoah-Potomac District of West Virginia Garden Clubs with the state road commission, this marker stands in the Eastern Panhandle's Berkeley County. It is one link in a national chain of roadside tributes.