"Old Railroad Town" Top 5 Page for this destination Ashland by TRimer

Not only is Ashland a railroad town, it's also a college town. At the northern end of Railroad Avenue is a cluster of charming 19th-century buildings, the campus of Randolph-Macon College. Established in 1830, the college was transplanted here after the Civil War.

The town's railroad tracks tell the story of Ashland, developed in 1858 as a resort for Richmonders attracted by its natural mineral springs and racetrack.

Ashland's grand homes - with their fanciful turrets, gingerbread detail and welcoming porches bordering each side of the train tracks - stand as a testament to the inescapable importance of the railroad and its romantic hold on this community.

- The community was named for Henry Clay's estate in Kentucky

- The town was founded as a health resort

- Patrick Henry delivered his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech here in the county courthouse

- A local girl, daughter of the Sheltons, is said to have been the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's "Lenore"

• Pros:Near Richmond
• Cons:Strip Malls, Chain Hotels
• In a nutshell:Not exactly what i would call romantic