During your stay in southwest Virginia, you may want to find some locally handmade arts to take home a taste of the region. Many of these, including pottery, quilts and timely crafted woodworks await you at The Cave House Craft Shop located on Main Street in Abingdon.

The Cave House a non-profit venue for a vast array of selective handmade crafts and arts from over 126 different artisans in the area and a great deal of history surrounds the house and the nearby cave for which it is named.

One of the most famous legends is one of Daniel Boone and how he gave the town its first name before it became Abingdon. The legendary hunter and soldier was out on what he called a “long hunt” where he would spend weeks or months in the wilderness. He did this to support his family as a market hunter by selling the furs and hides, which at the time was a lucrative business. Accordingly, fur traders began referring to buckskin hides as “bucks” which is where the slang word for the dollar is derived.

During a particularly long hunt in the year 1760 when he would eventually reach what is now Kentucky, Boone camped beside a cave that was near what is now Main Street. In the night, wolves residing in the cave attacked his dogs. Because of this, Boone dubbed the area “Wolf Hills.”

The Cave House is a Victorian home built between the years of 1857-58 by a man named Adam Hickman. The house, according to its historical record, was a wedding present for his daughter Anna Liza Campbell.

Some folks tell how parts of the cave system ran underneath the Cave House back when the Martha Washington Inn was a hospital. These tunnels were possibly used during the Civil War to allow the wounded to escape undetected.

Further stories detail the cave’s use during the Underground Railroad. Some believe that the tunnel stretched all the way from Bristol as a way to allow black slaves secretive passage into the north.

And, as is true for many places in Abingdon, the Cave House is reportedly haunted by several ghosts. Manager Donna Price tells a story of how the famous actor Ernest Borgnine (who got his start with the Barter Theatre) was so frightened by a ghost in the Cave House that he ran into Main Street and refused to reenter the house.

The Cave House has maintained long ties with the Barter Theatre. Robert Porterfield bought the house and used it for lodging for his Barter Players. Although only two floors are now in use as the Craft Shop, all four floors housed the Barter Theatre players in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Later on, Mr. Porterfield set up a Restaurant there called ‘Chez Robert’. However, the locals, according to Donna Price, laughingly called it “Cheese Robert.” “It was apparently one of the only places (in Abingdon) to get a good pizza.” Price said.

Today, the Cave House looks much like it did back in the 1800’s. In fact, you can still see the famous cave entrance behind the house in a barn enclosed with latticework to keep out intruders. The house is a designated landmark of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Despite its already rich and intriguing history, Price feels there is still much more to come for the Cave House. “Our chapters still to write include being more active with the events in the region, to having more educational projects both for the public and with school groups, and to find even more ways to promote our crafts, our talented artisans, and this wonderful area that is our home.”

Currently The Cave House features the featured stained glass artist Sandy Hart, basketmaker Marty Dunn and textile artist Julie Powell. The Co-Op is open through the year, and is open from 10:00 – 5:30 Monday through Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 - 5:00 during Spring and Summer Hours. Phone: (276) 628-7721.