[4] The town was founded by William Staige Marye in 1812, a descendant of a family native to Luray, France.

One of the dominant hills in the Town of Luray is the location of the Grand Old Mimslyn Inn, a 1931 classic Southern mansion style hotel.

The site of the Mimslyn is on the former location of "Aventine Hall," the home of Peter Bouck Borst, a mid-19th century lawyer.

"Aventine Hall" is now located on South Court Street (this is a private residence) in the Town of Luray, Virginia.

At 117 feet (36 m) high the Luray Singing Tower contains a carillon of 47 bells from John Taylor & Co of Loughborough, Leicestershire, Great Britain.

Recognized as one of the country's major carillons, regularly scheduled recitals are held, free of charge, through the spring, summer and fall.

Luray Middle and High also serve northern Page County, from feeder elementary school, Springfield, located near Rileyville.

The Town of Luray was officially established by act of the Virginia General Assembly on February 6, 1812, on ten acres of land near the Hawksbill Creek.

In 1781, Dirreck Pennypacker located the Redwell Furnace about a mile north of the current Town at Yager’s Spring.

Here, Pennypacker operated a forge and a foundry making nails, farm tools, kettles, stoves, and other iron products.

Three cross streets were mapped out due north and south, going west from Hawksbill Creek.

About 1845, according to Howe’s History of Virginia, Luray contained several mercantile stores, two or three churches, and a population of about 500.

During this era, a county seat served as an important location for conducting essential business such as recording deeds, paying property taxes, and settling disputes in civil court.

For the citizens who lived in the far eastern portions of Shenandoah County, traveling to Woodstock was not only far in distance, but it was an arduous trip as well.

Torbert's men engaged approximately 1,200 Confederate cavalry under Brigadier General Williams Wickham.

Despite victory in this affair and moving toward New Market Gap following the engagement, Torbert halted his command that night on the Page County side of the Massanutten, thereby missing an opportunity to cut off Confederate General Jubal Early's retreat from Fisher's Hill.

Private Philip Baybutt of the 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry received the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate flag during the engagement.