Heritage Society ‘History Campers’ visit Historic ‘Mountain Home’ site for a look at some of the ground they are studying

More than 40 local youth took part in the Warren Heritage Society’s “History Camp” this past week. On Thursday, June 15, as part of camp activities, participants and their families were invited to visit a local Civil War-era home, lovingly known as “Mountain Home”. From 10 a.m. to noon, groups of elementary, middle, and high school-aged children traveled to 3 stations set up on the property. Each station drew inspiration from historic parts of the property, including a rotation of local battle stories and maps, a show-and-tell of artifacts found on the property, and journaling inside the historic home’s dining room.

Sons of Confederate Veterans Mosby Camp’s Dwayne Mauck, in Confederate uniform, describes the logistics of living on the move during wartime, circa 1860s. The Civil War-era tent he is gesturing to was optimally designed for two soldiers and their gear, tho sometimes as many as six soldiers were forced into one, he told Heritage Society History Campers. Who wants to see what? – Ask first. Royal Examiner Photos Roger Bianchini

This writer, Rilie Bass, a rising senior at James Madison University and historic research intern at Mountain Home B&B this summer, led the “Dear Diary” station, which drew inspiration from the legacy of a former 15-year-old resident, Annie Gardner. In 1862, Annie left her well-documented diary to her mother, describing daily life as a Front Royal/Warren County native during the Civil War. The descriptive language Annie uses to tell tales of Mountain Home life, soldier interactions, and typical daily routines provides insight into the local values, social context, and political beliefs of her time. To continue the art of documentation, Warren Heritage Society History Camp participants were guided through a journaling exercise to document a glimpse into their daily lives. After writing their own small entries and hearing a few from Annie’s diary, participants reflected on what they chose to include or not in their journals and what those messages say about their current beliefs, environments, and values.

JMU summer historic site research and curation interns Zoe Joyner, closest to the camera, and writer Rilie Bass, prep the Mtn. Home patio for the arrival of the over 40 History Camp participants. Below, the Confederates appear to be bivouacked just south of the Mtn. Home patio as Dwayne Mauck of the Sons of the Confederacy John Mosby Camp, or should I say ‘Private James Newton,’ introduces early History Camp arrivals to accommodations.

The artifact station was jointly led by Zoe Joyner, a 2nd-year graduate student at James Madison University and historic curation intern at Mountain Home, and Lisa Jenkins, co-owner with husband Scott of Mountain Home B&B. Together the leaders placed 10 artifacts spanning across the 19th and 20th centuries on a table, and participants had to guess what each item could be used for. The purpose/function, physical features, and context of artifacts such as a hoop skirt frame, juice press, leather shoes, and broken pottery were all described in detail to paint a larger picture of what the lives of the home’s inhabitants could have been like in the 1800s and early 1900s.

Mtn. Home co-host Scott Jenkins points east, announcing the Yankees are definitely expected to arrive from that direction at some point in the distant past, which will soon be explained to History Camp attendees. Below, from left, are Matt Wendling, Darryl Merchant, and Dwayne Mauck, who would explain various aspects of the Yankee advance and Confederate counter-moves in the area.

Lastly, a military-centered station was set up on the patio and its surrounding areas, inviting participants to learn about the Battle of Wapping Heights (Manassas Gap) via stories and maps, as well as see and touch items from a Civil War campsite. Matt Wendling, Dwayne Mauk in period uniform, and Daryl Merchant led discussions and demonstrations about area battles, the life of a soldier, and how Front Royal was a part of both Union and Confederate war stories.

Matt Wendling preps older History Campers on how the Mtn. Home property figured into troop movements related to Battles at nearby Wapping Heights and Manassas Gap. Final shot below, Wendling verifies Scott Jenkins earlier ‘warning’ – the Yankees are definitely coming from the east as a glum Mauck, we mean Private Newton, listens

With beautiful weather, a nice patio to have a packed lunch on, and informative guests to lead conversations, having the 2023 Warren Heritage Society History Camp visit Mountain Home was a perfect step toward the camp’s finish line the following day. Hosts Lisa and Scott Jenkins look forward to providing the community with more information about the property’s history as we JMU-based interns, conduct historical research on the property and its inhabitants throughout the summer. Thanks to the Warren Heritage Society for allowing Mountain Home to be a partner for this year’s History Camp – and for supporting Zoe and my research through access to the Laura Virginia Hale Archives and its facilities on Chester Street in downtown Front Royal.

Annie Gardner wasn’t the only area Civil War girl to leave a diary about her experiences during the American Civil War behind. Lucy Buck’s diary ‘Sad Earth, Sweet Heaven’ next to Laura Virginia Hale’s book ‘Four Valiant Years in the Lower Shenandoah Valley – 1861-1865’. ‘What to write about today?’ – Below, the youngest History Camp group ponders the ‘journaling’ assignment while the older kids get to play outside during phase one of the History Camp visit to the historic Mtn. Home B&B site. Final shots, the middle age group ponders the ‘artifacts’ ID assignment. Bet the hoop skirt frame confused them.

Background on Mountain Home

Listed in both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Registry, Mountain Home is a historic home located on Remount Road (Route 522 South) near the Town of Front Royal in Warren County, Virginia. It was built in 1847 and served as the home of Samuel B. Gardner and his descendants for nearly 140 years.

Lisa and Scott Jenkins purchased the property in 2012 and embarked on an ongoing rehabilitation of the buildings and grounds. To date, 5 of 7 buildings have been fully rehabilitated following U.S. Department of Interior guidelines. Mountain Home B&B has been in business since 2014, with the “Cabbin” opening that year, followed by the “Main House” opening in 2018. Since opening, Mountain Home B&B has hosted more than 10,000 overnight stays and sponsored numerous public events such as open houses, cider pressings, music recitals, and wilderness first aid training.

The largely restored ‘Mountain Home’ dating to 1847, initially served as the home of Samuel B. Gardner and then his descendants for nearly 140 years. Those descendants included Annie Gardner, who as a young teen kept a journal of life during the Civil War at her rural Warren County home on the path to and from several battles. Below, suspected Yankee surveillance photo of the June 15 Warren Heritage Society ‘History Camp’ gathering at the patio of the Mountain Home B&B.

Located just 120 steps from the Appalachian Trail, Mountain Home B&B welcomes backpackers, travelers, tourists, and many others throughout the year. For additional information on accommodations and events, see the Mountain Home website or contact them at MountainHomeAT@gmail.com or call 540-692-6198 between 9 am and 9 pm.

Mountain Home has also adopted a two-mile stretch of Remount Road and coordinates roadside cleanups throughout the year — look for notices on its Facebook page.

By Rilie Bass