Farmland and mills have been in Linville since the 1700s
Linville is a rural community just 6 miles north of Harrisonburg. English Quakers and Germans first moved here in the mid-1700s to build mills along Linville Creek and grow crops on the land wedged between the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today, this past remains intact, with Rockingham County’s oldest grist mill now serving as a history museum and farmland still making up most of the community. And this wide-open space is what attracts most homebuyers. “You can get a house sitting on anything between 1 and 100 acres,” says Mary Miller Turner, a Realtor with Funkhouser Real Estate Group, who has sold several homes in the area. “Living on that amount of land just makes life really quiet.”
Linville homes have mountain views, crops and cattle
Linville’s oldest homes include farmhouses dating back to the early 1900s. Mid-20th-century ranch styles and New Traditional houses built throughout the 2000s are also common. Homes often feature Blue Ridge Mountain views. Some properties are working farms with grain crops or cattle. The median single-family home price is around $390,000, which is about the same as Harrisonburg’s median. Residents should be aware that Linville can experience forest fires, and homes near the creek may be in flood zones.
Rockingham County’s oldest mill is in Linville
The water wheel still turns at Historic Turner-Brenneman Mill, which was built in 1800. Locals can view live corn-grinding demonstrations and tour the Federal-style home, filled with original furniture and farm equipment, on the last Saturday of every month between May and October. “Local schools will also take field trips there during the week,” says Turner. Linville has several houses of worship, including the Lindale Mennonite Church and the Edom United Methodist Church, located in its Gothic Revival-style building since 1870.
Locals can off-road, horseback ride and hike
Linville is home to several rural recreation spaces, including Big Boys Playground, an off-roading area with dirt paths for jeeps, motorcycles and go-karts. Horses gallop across rolling pastures at Rocky Hill Stables, which offers training arenas and equine-assisted therapy. Next to the post office, the Linville-Edom Ruritan Club is a small beige hall that regularly hosts community meetings and steak or spaghetti suppers. Mountainous trails within the George Washington National Forest are less than 10 miles east. Hikers can trek the mile-long Fridley Gap Trail, passing by mountain laurel bushes and small waterfalls that empty into a swimming hole. Massanutten Resort, about 20 miles south, has ski slopes during the winter and hiking trails throughout the summer.
A Rockingham County elementary school is here
Linville is zoned for Rockingham County Public Schools, which earns a B grade from Niche. The district educates around 11,500 students with a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Linville-Edom Elementary is a public school in the community. James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University are both less than 6 miles south.
Linville doesn’t have any stores or restaurants
Residents can get beef cuts at local cattle farms and buy fresh produce from the area's farm stands. But Linville doesn't have any official stores or restaurants. “You won’t even see a gas station until you enter Harrisonburg,” Turner says. Harrisonburg, 6 miles south, has big-box grocery stores like Food Lion, Walmart Supercenter and Aldi. Breweries, burger joints and coffee shops fill the downtown district’s Italianate-style buildings. The closest hospital, Sentara RMH Medical Center, is also in Harrisonburg.
Drivers have easy access to Harrisonburg and state Route 42
Linville is a car-dependent community with no sidewalks or public transportation options. Kratzer Road leads directly to Harrisonburg. State Route 42, which spans the entirety of western Virginia, is also in the area. A freight railroad intersects with some local roads and may cause temporary traffic stops. Several commercial farms are in the area, including Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative's grain unloading site. Harrisonburg Men’s Diversion Center is an alternative facility for non-violent offenders in the northeast part of town. Shenandoah Valley Airport, about 24 miles south, offers daily flights to Charlotte.
