The Shenandoah Bakery was located at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Second Street in the Town of Shenandoah.
Mr. Unis Scott Rinaca Sr. and wife Anna Frazier Coleman Rinaca moved from Orange County to Shenandoah in 1921 and four years later in 1925 he purchased The Shenandoah Bakery. In October 1930 they installed one of the latest bread slicing machines which will adjust to slice any thickness desired.
In April 1935 Mr. Rinaca purchased the two-story Queen Anne house located at the comer of Virginia Avenue and Third Street for the sum of $2750. This is the elegant home at 321 Third street and has two-story, 4-bay, hipped-roof, with central-front-gable and side projecting 2-story polygonal bay with a hexagonal roof of pressed tin shingles. This home is still standing and siding is currently being applied the house.
With the assistance of his mother Pamly Jane Stepp Rinaca and his brother Dewey F. Rinica, the bakery business begins to grow. In July 1933 they purchased a second new Chevrolet truck with a special body. The chassis was delivered to Shenandoah and then driven to York Pa., where the special bodies were made and mounted on the chassis. The two trucks are kept busy making deliveries in and out of town. By 1937 the bakery was running delivery trucks in Page, Rockingham, Augusta, and Green counties. In addition to bread, they made cakes, pies, doughnuts, and tarts. In 1938 they enlarged the bakery to take care of the growing business and to house several of their bakery trucks. Work was progressing nicely on the expansion of the bakery in November of 1938 and in January 1939 they opened the Skating Rink over the new addition to the bakery.
In June 1944 Mr. U. S. Rinaca attended the Bakers’ Convention in Baltimore and was accompanied by his sister Mrs. John Straub, of Michigan.
Mr. Unis Scott Rinaca Sr. passed away on November 25, 1946 at the early age of 52. He was a successful business man and he was interested in all of the civic activities of the town. His son Unis Scott Rinaca Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps and was very active in many civic events in Shenandoah and Page County and served on the Shenandoah Town Council and was mayor from 1965 to 1971.
In later years Womack’s home Improvement Company was located in the left side of the building in the early 60’s and was ran by Bernard A. Womack. At this time Dr. George Sessoms had an office in the right-hand corner of the building. The last business to occupy the building was an auction house in the early 70’s. There was an apartment on the second floor and later an apartment in the space where Dr Sessoms had an office.
As a result of the weight of ice and snow accumulating on the roof, part of the west wall of the building bowed out and part of it crumbled down next the house beside it. Shortley after the wall fell, the entire building was torn down some time prior to December 2014. On the west wall of the foundation, close to the house you can see the initials USR and CR 1938 that had been hidden for over 76 years beneath the wall. Under the initials of CR is written 1938. The initials CR could be his son Carlton Coleman Rinica.
We were not able to find out when the Shenandoah Bakery went out of business, but it may have coincided with the death of Mr. Rinaca in November 1946.
We found most of our information for this article in the Page News and Courier on line at Virginia Chronicle. Thanks to Lora Jenkins at the Shenandoah Museum, she was instrumental in the Virginia Chronicle upgrading their data base of the Page News and Courier collection from 1922 to 1963.
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The Shenandoah Bakery started out as a two-story building on the corner- Page News and Courier June 28, 1932.
Pictured above is one of several delivery trucks for the bakery.
New Oven installed, one of the latest type ovens made and the first of its kind to be installed in the state of Virginia. - Page News and Courier December 18, 1936.
Attractive and unusual Metrounit Chevrolet Bread Truck delivering to Page, Rockingham, Augusta and Green counties. Page News and Courier May 22, 1937.
Rollerskate over the Bakery, Try Rollerskating for enjoyable exercise. Page News and Courier March 31, 1939.
Roller Skating Season Here, Continuous Music. Page News and Courier November 3, 1939.
Unis Scott Rinaca Sr obituary- The Orange Review November 28, 1946.
Initials on wall – USR
Initials on Wall CR and under it is 1938. Note that the 3 was written backwards. The initials CR could be that of one of his sons, Carlton Coleman Rinica.
This picture taken recently in August 2024 shows the area where the bakery used to be located at corner of Second Street and Virginia Avenue.
