2001 Tour of Historic Sites
Luray, VA
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From an area filled with sites having a long and storied history, we offer this list with a few comments for your review.
Massanutten Monument - This 25 foot obelisk of native stone from the adjacent Massanutten Mountain was erected in 1929 to the memory of the early settlers of the area. In reading the inscription, you will see there is more than one way to spell Massanutten.
Barbee's Confederate Monument - Herbert Barbee was born in Luray on October 8, 1848, a son of the distinguished sculptor William Randolph Barbee. In 1878 Herbert went to Italy to study art. After his return to America he had studios in New York, Baltimore, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Washington, and Luray. Herbert’s wife was Blanche Stover, a descendant of Peter Ruffner, Jr. The statue was suggested by a Confederate picket Barbee saw one day standing at the summit of Thornton’s Gap on the Blue Ridge in a snow storm with the muzzle of his rifle pointed down to keep out the snow.
Massanutten School - This restored schoolhouse is located at the Inn Lawn Park and is a project of the Page County Heritage Association. It is an original one-room school that was removed from the Massanutten area of Page County and was last used as a school in 1937. The school was moved, restored and furnished by donations from interested citizens. Inside are sixteen original double desks, a central heating stove made of cast-iron is over one-hundred years old, a handmade teacher’s desk and chair, old wooden slates, and many other relics used when the school was in service. On display are over 180 pictures and other objects. The building is now used for meetings and for school groups to re-create the teaching and learning methods used in the 1800s and early 1900s, and was used for the children’s special activities program during the 2001 Ruffner Family Reunion.
Willow Grove Mill – The mill is located at Old Mundellsville on the west branch of the Hawksbill Creek. This was the area where Peter and Mary Ruffner’s oldest son Joseph and his family lived prior to relocating to Kanawha County. Joseph was the owner of the original mill, which stood on this site. It was here Dr. Henry Ruffner, the distinguished author and educator, was born. The original mill was burned in October of 1865 as part of the Union Army’s campaign to destroy the Confederate food supply. The burning of the Shenandoah Valley was led by Union General Phillip Sheridan and is documented in "The Burning". The present mill is typical of those found in the area during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and flour was produced here from about 1885 to 1943.
Benjamin Ruffner’s Home - Benjamin, the second son of Peter and Mary Ruffner, is believed to have built the original part of this homestead. Subsequent owners have added to and modernized the property using the old original log structure as the center of the house. The Benjamin Ruffner house as it now stands is a long house with the north end built into the side of a steep hill. There is much stonework in the first story where the kitchen and dining room are located. These stonewalls are fourteen inches thick. The house is now known as "Yankee Sam’s" for Sam Forrer, who once owned the property. This house has recorded the joys and sorrows, hopes and dreams of several Page County families and has witnessed the progress of the Page Valley for two hundred years.
Reuben Ruffner's Home - The present brick house is built on the original lines of Reuben Ruffner. The exterior remains the same as it was with few exceptions. The interior has been remodeled and is beautifully furnished and decorated in keeping with the style of the house. The house is made of hand-made bricks, which were made on the property. The log house out back is the original home of Reuben. It is constructed of giant logs, notched and chinked with mortar. There is a large chimney at the rear of the cabin with a tremendous open fireplace. Reuben sold this property and moved all his family to Kentucky in the 1780’s.
Emanuel Ruffner’s Home - Emanuel married Magdalene Grove and settled here in 1785. This is a tremendous log building covered with frame and constructed in an L-shape with large columns on the front porch. There are 10 or 12 rooms in the building and an immense chimney rises on the west side of the home. The house was called "Locust Grove". In 1805 Emanuel sold his property and moved all of his family to Fairfield County, Ohio.
The Carillon – Luray’s Singing Tower is officially known as the Belle Brown Northcott Memorial and contains a carillon of 47 bells. It was a gift to the town in memory of Colonel T. C. Northcott’s wife and was dedicated in 1937.
Mauk Meeting House - The Mauck Meeting House is listed in the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register. This log structure was built about 1770 by neighbors for their religious purposes. These neighbors were mostly Mennonites from Switzerland and the southern Germanic states. It is constructed of large pine logs neatly dovetailed at the corners, whitewashed inside and out, and is roofed with chestnut shingles. Each feature is typical of the construction at that time. The pews are benches with pine board seats and backrest. The pulpit is a simple square box on a raised platform. In winter a large six-plate stove made at the local iron furnace heated the building. The stove is inscribed, ‘D. Pennybacker 1799’.
Calendine - Calendine was built in 1840 for Townsend Young who ran a General Store and stagecoach stop in the adjacent building. It was later the home of Herbert Barbee who sculpted the Confederate Monument and he used the store building as his studio. Calendine and the country store across the street are properties of the Page County Heritage Association. Calendine is used as a museum for rare artifacts and the store is being restored to represent the period in which it served the Hamburg community.
Mill Creek Primitive Baptist Church - The present church was built in 1889 after leaving the old church at Mauck Meeting House. Elder John Koontz was the first moderator of this church. This church, built by its members with the bricks made nearby, presently has services once a month. Ruffner descendants have been regular attendees and influential members of the congregation.
The White House - The White House was built in 1760 by Martin Kauffman-II and is one of the county’s most well known landmarks. It was originally built as a meetinghouse for those Mennonites who inhabited the area. The White House is frequently mentioned in Civil War writings concerning General Stonewall Jackson. The covered bridge at this location was an important river crossing point. It was burned by Stonewall Jackson in 1862 to prevent Federal troops from crossing the river at this location. The house is constructed of stone and is covered with lime and sand mortar on the outside. The kitchen was maintained in a separate building and a covered passageway led to it. The vaulted cellar, or fort, is reached from inside the house through a trap door. Portholes are a typical feature of this construction. Through them the settlers might ward off attackers.
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