McGaheysville, Virginia
Encyclopedia
McGaheysville is an unincorporated community located in Rockingham County
, in the U.S. state
of Virginia
. It is located along U.S. Route 33
between Penn Laird and Elkton
, and sits at the base of the Massanutten
.
According to a number derived from the 2000 census standard, McGaheysville had an estimated population of 756 people.
on the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition
. The first European-American to settle permanently in the area was Adam Miller
(Mueller) (1703-1783), a native of Germany who arrived in 1726 and made his homestead near present-day Elkton. Later, several German and Dutch immigrants moved into the area. and a village began to grow up around the Upper Peaked Mountain Church which had been established in the area which is now McGaheysville. Records from 1758 reveal that a Lutheran preacher, Reverend Lawrence Wartman, originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
was preaching in the McGaheysville area who had likely arrived the year before in 1757. He is widely believed to have been the first Lutheran preacher who settled in Rockingham County. In 1758 he was involved in a court case in Augusta County court to naturalize one of his congregation from the Upper Peaked Mountain Church he was stationed at in the McGaheysville vicinity. In 1762, Jacob Herman ceded land to both the Lutherans and the Reformed Church to build the Union Church in the area in conjunction, built in a part called "Stony Run".
Reverend Philip Charle Van Gemunden, a German Reformed preacher, arrived in the county in 1762 and preached at the Upper Peaked Mountain church which had been established in the area which is now McGaheysville.After his death in 1764, he was succeeded by Charles Lang from Frederick, Maryland who bought a farm in Timberville and in the McGaheysville area. However he was a controversial figure who in 1771 was ordered to leave Virginia, leaving his more respectable wife behind. The village community that was beginning to grow around the church was originally named Ursulaburg after her.
McGaheysville was named for surveyor
Tobias Randolph McGahey, who came to the area as part of a Scotch
-Irish
colonization effort in 1801. Shortly thereafter he married innkeeper Eva Conrad, at whose tavern
he had previously spent the night. In 1802 he established a post office
using the name "McGaheysville" and gave the town its name.
McGaheysville saw almost no action in the American Civil War
, save for a skirmish during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, on April 27, 1862, involving one section of an artillery
battery of New York Militia; it is, however, located near to the site of the Battle of Cross Keys
, and consequently soldiers from both the Union Army
and the Confederate Army passed through during the campaign.
in the northeastern United States. It lies along the U.S. Route 33
, between Penn Laird to the west and Elkton
to the east. This road is part of the Spotswood Trail which leads from Harrisonburg
located several kilometres beyond Penn Laird to the west. McGaheysville is located near the south fork of Shenandoah River
in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley
. The land to the immediate south of the village consists primarily of farmland but beyond that is the mountainous Shenandoah National Park
. The area immediately north of the village is mountainous with the peak of Massanutten
, located just to the northeast.Pikey Mountain, even nearer to the village than Massanutten, is located in the northeastern part of McGaheysville.
, which had been destroyed by fire in 1968.
McGaheysville has a volunteer fire department, which hosts a weekly bingo and an annual three-day lawn party in the summer when families turn up to enjoy live music, rides and games and eat. A restaurant, the Thunderbird, recently joined Hank’s Smokehouse and Southern Grillery as one of the restaurants in the town in June 2005, after that Romano's Italian Bistro opened their door in October 2005, also opened in the old center of McGaheysville, opposite the volunteer fire company. The adjacent resort of Massanutten
, which began operations in 1971, plays an important role in the local economy, fuelled by tourism all year round with its 14 ski trails, 36 holes of golf, a water park which opened in October 2005 and other facilities.The resort has its origins in the late 1960s when John L. Hopkins II, a wealthy local landowner from McGaheysville, realized the economic potential of Massanutten Peak one day after viewing it through the farmhouse kitchen window and attracted investors to build a resort of 5,200 acres.
Rockingham County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 67,725 people, 25,355 households, and 18,889 families residing in the county. The population density was 80 people per square mile . There were 27,328 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. It is located along U.S. Route 33
U.S. Route 33 in Virginia
U.S. Route 33 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Elkhart, Indiana to Richmond, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Rawley Springs east to its eastern terminus at SR 33 in Richmond. US 33 is the primary east–west highway of...
between Penn Laird and Elkton
Elkton, Virginia
Elkton is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census. Elkton was named for the Elk Run stream.It is located along the south fork of the Shenandoah River...
, and sits at the base of the Massanutten
Massanutten Mountain
Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Geography:The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just east of Strasburg in Shenandoah County in the north, to its highest peak east of Harrisonburg in Rockingham County in the...
.
According to a number derived from the 2000 census standard, McGaheysville had an estimated population of 756 people.
History
The earliest records mentioning a settlement in the area date to 1716, when Governor Spotswood ventured west of the Blue Ridge MountainsBlue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
on the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition
Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition
The Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition took place in 1716 in the British Colony of Virginia. The Royal Governor and a number of prominent citizens traveled westward, across the Blue Ridge Mountains on an exploratory expedition...
. The first European-American to settle permanently in the area was Adam Miller
Adam Miller (Pioneer)
With residency beginning in 1727, Adam Miller is recognized as the first permanent settler in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, USA...
(Mueller) (1703-1783), a native of Germany who arrived in 1726 and made his homestead near present-day Elkton. Later, several German and Dutch immigrants moved into the area. and a village began to grow up around the Upper Peaked Mountain Church which had been established in the area which is now McGaheysville. Records from 1758 reveal that a Lutheran preacher, Reverend Lawrence Wartman, originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
was preaching in the McGaheysville area who had likely arrived the year before in 1757. He is widely believed to have been the first Lutheran preacher who settled in Rockingham County. In 1758 he was involved in a court case in Augusta County court to naturalize one of his congregation from the Upper Peaked Mountain Church he was stationed at in the McGaheysville vicinity. In 1762, Jacob Herman ceded land to both the Lutherans and the Reformed Church to build the Union Church in the area in conjunction, built in a part called "Stony Run".
Reverend Philip Charle Van Gemunden, a German Reformed preacher, arrived in the county in 1762 and preached at the Upper Peaked Mountain church which had been established in the area which is now McGaheysville.After his death in 1764, he was succeeded by Charles Lang from Frederick, Maryland who bought a farm in Timberville and in the McGaheysville area. However he was a controversial figure who in 1771 was ordered to leave Virginia, leaving his more respectable wife behind. The village community that was beginning to grow around the church was originally named Ursulaburg after her.
McGaheysville was named for surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
Tobias Randolph McGahey, who came to the area as part of a Scotch
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
-Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
colonization effort in 1801. Shortly thereafter he married innkeeper Eva Conrad, at whose tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
he had previously spent the night. In 1802 he established a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
using the name "McGaheysville" and gave the town its name.
McGaheysville saw almost no action in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, save for a skirmish during the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, on April 27, 1862, involving one section of an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
battery of New York Militia; it is, however, located near to the site of the Battle of Cross Keys
Battle of Cross Keys
The Battle of Cross Keys was fought on June 8, 1862, in Rockingham County, Virginia, as part of Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War...
, and consequently soldiers from both the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
and the Confederate Army passed through during the campaign.
Geography
McGayeysville lies in northern central VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in the northeastern United States. It lies along the U.S. Route 33
U.S. Route 33 in Virginia
U.S. Route 33 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Elkhart, Indiana to Richmond, Virginia. In Virginia, the U.S. Highway runs from the West Virginia state line near Rawley Springs east to its eastern terminus at SR 33 in Richmond. US 33 is the primary east–west highway of...
, between Penn Laird to the west and Elkton
Elkton, Virginia
Elkton is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,042 at the 2000 census. Elkton was named for the Elk Run stream.It is located along the south fork of the Shenandoah River...
to the east. This road is part of the Spotswood Trail which leads from Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
located several kilometres beyond Penn Laird to the west. McGaheysville is located near the south fork of Shenandoah River
Shenandoah River
The Shenandoah River is a tributary of the Potomac River, long with two forks approximately long each, in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia...
in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. The land to the immediate south of the village consists primarily of farmland but beyond that is the mountainous Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park encompasses part of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. This national park is long and narrow, with the broad Shenandoah River and valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east...
. The area immediately north of the village is mountainous with the peak of Massanutten
Massanutten Mountain
Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Geography:The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just east of Strasburg in Shenandoah County in the north, to its highest peak east of Harrisonburg in Rockingham County in the...
, located just to the northeast.Pikey Mountain, even nearer to the village than Massanutten, is located in the northeastern part of McGaheysville.
Facilities
Several buildings in McGaheysville date to 1840. Stumps Antique Mall was built in 1910 and was originally used as Model T garage. The town is currently home to an elementary school, completed in 1969 and built on the site of the former high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, which had been destroyed by fire in 1968.
McGaheysville has a volunteer fire department, which hosts a weekly bingo and an annual three-day lawn party in the summer when families turn up to enjoy live music, rides and games and eat. A restaurant, the Thunderbird, recently joined Hank’s Smokehouse and Southern Grillery as one of the restaurants in the town in June 2005, after that Romano's Italian Bistro opened their door in October 2005, also opened in the old center of McGaheysville, opposite the volunteer fire company. The adjacent resort of Massanutten
Massanutten, Virginia
Massanutten is a census-designated place in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States, built around a ski resort. The population was 1,945 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Harrisonburg Metropolitan Statistical Area-Geography:...
, which began operations in 1971, plays an important role in the local economy, fuelled by tourism all year round with its 14 ski trails, 36 holes of golf, a water park which opened in October 2005 and other facilities.The resort has its origins in the late 1960s when John L. Hopkins II, a wealthy local landowner from McGaheysville, realized the economic potential of Massanutten Peak one day after viewing it through the farmhouse kitchen window and attracted investors to build a resort of 5,200 acres.