In 1905 the dying Charles D. Zirkle of New Market bequeathed his share of his father’s property, a 42-acre piece of land on the outskirts of town, to the Virginia Conference of Seventh day Adventists.
He wanted to have a school built for Adventist youth education.
Two years later, construction began on what was originally known as New Market Academy.
Since the name duplicated that of a former private school, it was changed to Shenandoah Valley Academy, still in use.

When the private school opened in September 1908, it had ten grades.
That first year enrollment was 15 students, the first four of whom graduated in 1911.
When founded, Shenandoah Valley Academy was the seventh Seventh-day Adventist academy in the United States to offer high-school level classes.

SVA did not operate in 1913-1914 because of extreme financial difficulties.
From 1916 to 1921 the school was struggling to survive, but continued under the leadership of H. M. Forshee, Principal, and the help of Elder R. D. Hottel, pastor of the New Market Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Hottel collected funds and foodstuffs for the needy school.
In addition to losing students because of the Great War, in 1918 the school suffered from the Spanish flu epidemic; one person died and the school temporarily closed.

In the fall of 1927, W. C. Hannah became principal.
He served for 26 years, a record more typical of that era.
He brought much advancement to the school and the campus.

Today most SVA students come from the states of Virginia and Maryland, but many come from other areas, namely from the Midwestern Region and the Mid-Atlantic states, and a few from the far South and West.
There are also international students, from South Korea, Angola, and nations of Latin America.
 As of 2019, SVA has graduated over 5,300 students.
In 1905 the dying Charles D. Zirkle of New Market bequeathed his share of his father’s property, a 42-acre piece of land on the outskirts of town, to the Virginia Conference of Seventh day Adventists. He wanted to have a school built for Adventist youth education. Two years later, construction began on what was originally known as New Market Academy. Since the name duplicated that of a former private school, it was changed to Shenandoah Valley Academy, still in use. 
When the private school opened in September 1908, it had ten grades. That first year enrollment was 15 students, the first four of whom graduated in 1911. When founded, Shenandoah Valley Academy was the seventh Seventh-day Adventist academy in the United States to offer high-school level classes.
SVA did not operate in 1913-1914 because of extreme financial difficulties. From 1916 to 1921 the school was struggling to survive, but continued under the leadership of H. M. Forshee, Principal, and the help of Elder R. D. Hottel, pastor of the New Market Seventh-day Adventist Church. Hottel collected funds and foodstuffs for the needy school. In addition to losing students because of the Great War, in 1918 the school suffered from the Spanish flu epidemic; one person died and the school temporarily closed. 
In the fall of 1927, W. C. Hannah became principal. He served for 26 years, a record more typical of that era. He brought much advancement to the school and the campus.
Today most SVA students come from the states of Virginia and Maryland, but many come from other areas, namely from the Midwestern Region and the Mid-Atlantic states, and a few from the far South and West. There are also international students, from South Korea, Angola, and nations of Latin America.  As of 2019, SVA has graduated over 5,300 students.
Shenandoah Valley Academy