Fairfax Hall

Growing up in the city of Waynesboro, I attended, and still do when I am in town, Westminster Presbyterian Church. As a part of this church experience, my mother was insistent that my siblings and I participate in various community service events including Meals on Wheels, a service provided by the Waynesboro senior center to deliver meals to the elderly. It was a task that I grew to enjoy, knowing that I would receive at least 5 compliments, likely a piece of candy, the opportunity to pet a dog, and a chance to go inside Fairfax Hall.

As a child, I knew nothing of the history of the building. I didn’t know architectural terms, its connection to the town, or how long it had been standing there. I simply knew it was beautiful.

The halls had wooden accents and the rooms were divided into apartments of all styles and sizes to accommodate for their resident. There was even a lookout tower that my mother would allow me to go to when we finished out rounds. I remember commenting to others that it was like Hogwarts for old people. It wasn’t until later when I looked at the history section of the Fairfax Hall website that I found out the facility only began housing elderly residents in February of 2001.

Fairfax Hall originally opened as the Brandon Hotel on Thanksgiving Day in 1890.  Back in that day, there had been high hopes that Waynesboro, specifically the Basic City area, would become a great industrial center with Basic City Mining, Manufacturing, and Land Company leading the boom. If the town was to accommodate for all visitors and business, they would need their very own “Railroad Hotel” – similar to other resorts of the railroad era in the Valley. This one would have what the others lacked, including the capability for electricity, central heat, and even indoor plumbing. Unfortunately, Basic City never quite met its potential and the Brandon was only economically successful for a few years.

Retrieved from http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Waynesboro/FairfaxHall_photo.htm

The following decades saw several ownerships of the building. The property took on a new identity in 1913 when Elmer Hoenshel started the Brandon Institute, a music school that only lasted a few years. Then, in 1920, Professor John Noble Maxwell founded Fairfax Hall, a finishing school for young ladies. This school was then purchased by W.B. Gates, the former president of Blackstone College.

The Gates family put the property up for sale in 1996. The three principal buildings, containing 57,000 square feet with an estimation of $100 per foot for renovations, were purchased in 1997 by the Waynesboro Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The idea, created by Bill Hausrath, was to restore the property and utilize it as an affordable housing project using tax credit to fund the project. Construction began in December of 1999 with the help of Mathers Construction.

Today the property has 54 apartments and modern furnishings – even more than the Brandon could boast. However, the structure is one that has not lost its charm. If it can capture the attention span of a 7-year-old girl, its architecture is well worth talking about.

Retrieved from http://www.fairfaxhall.com/

More information on Fairfax Hall can be found by visiting http://www.fairfaxhall.net/

The DeJarnette Sanitorium: Paranormal Speculation

While doing research for my piece on the history of the DeJarnette Sanitorium, I came across a man named Marty Seibel who is the owner and founder of Ghosts of Staunton as well as the director and founder of Black Raven Paranormal.

The goal of Ghosts of Stanton is to provide visitors with a tour that merges historical fact and hauntings. It’s their mission to educate, enlighten, and entertain guests on both the culture of the Staunton area and its local legends.

Black Raven Paranormal is a paranormal investigation and research organization, originally established in 2005 as the Shenandoah Valley Paranormal Society. The group travels across the country investigating reportedly haunted sites in the hopes of debunking the stories or capturing evidence.

Retrived from Ghosts of Staunton Facebook page.
Marty Seibel waits to start walking tour of DeJarnette, October, 2013. 

Seibel, an active paranormal investigator for over 13 years, explains that history is the driving force behind what he does, adding, “We learn from the past to secure our future.”

When asked about the history and controversy concerning The DeJarnette Center and its namesake’s propagation of eugenics, Seibel describes it as a local shame – claiming that some Staunton natives don’t like talking about it.

“It amazes me that it was at one time such a big movement with it across the county and that the driving force in Virginia was based right here in Staunton, Virginia - right here where I live.”

This past October, Marty and his coworkers at Ghosts of Staunton hosted walking ghost tours of the facility. The group hopes to host this event again in the future.

When asked if there were any local legends about the DeJarnette facility, Seibel responded with the story of Mr. Atlee.

“There was a patient there in the early 1960s named Mr. Atlee.  It is said he was a patient there and never spoke a word the many years he was at the sanatorium, not a word during his entire stay until the last week he was still alive.  A few days before his passing, he made a comment he would never be able to leave the sanatorium.  There are stories of nurses and staff seeing him shortly after his passing at various locations on the 3rd floor.  It is also stated, many would hear a sound of grinding, like grinding your teeth.  Staff spoke that when he was alive, he would sit in his wheelchair and grit his teeth, making a grinding sound. Mr. Atlee did exist, the other information we have no documentation to proof such.” 

Photo credit to the News Leader.
Retrieved from Black Raven Paranormal Facebook page.

For more information on Ghosts of Stauton, call (540) 448-2743 or email ghostsofstaunton@comcast.net. Additional information, pictures and updates on events can be found on the Ghost of Staunton Facebook page or at http://www.GhostsofStaunton.com

For more information on Black Raven Paranormal, visit the Black Raven Paranormal Facebook page or visit http://www.BlackRavenParanormal.com/

The DeJarnette Sanitorium: A History

This is the law of Mendel,

And often he maken it plain,

Defectives will breed defectives,

And the insane breed insane.

Oh why do we allow these people

To breed back to the monkey's nest,

To increase our country's burdens

When we should only breed the best?

-Joseph Spencer DeJarnette

    Mendel’s Law: A Plea for a Better Race of Men

The poem which you have just read is the writing of Dr. Joseph Spencer DeJarnette, who served as the director of the Western State Hospital (in Staunton, Virginia) from 1905 to 1943. DeJarnette, as you can probably guess by his poem, was a firm promoter of eugenics, the belief that it is necessary to improve the human race by controlling which people are allowed to become parents, particularly compulsory sterilization of those considered mentally ill or unfit. While in today’s society we have made great achievements in the understanding of mental health and stability, it was not the same in DeJarnette’s day.

Marty Seibel, the owner and founder of Ghosts of Staunton, and organization that strives to educate, enlighten, and entertain visitors about the history and hauntings of the area, added to this picture of DeJarnette by saying, “His beliefs went further than that though and included many [people] deemed unproductive to society.  At this time, this would include interracial people, people who may be poor, alcoholics, drug addicts; this list goes on and on.”

Retrieved from http://www.virginiamemory.com/blogs/out_of_the_box/2012/09/19/two-faces-the-personal-files-of-dr-joseph-s-dejarnette/

Procedures practiced by DeJarnette, along with most physicians during this time, included many that would today be considered harsh, cruel, and extreme. Amongst these are Insulin Coma Therapy (ICT), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Hydro Shock Therapy (HST).   Lobotomies were also common practice. 

The DeJarnette Sanitorium, later renamed the DeJarnette Center for Human Development, named in honor of Dr. Joseph DeJarnette in 1932. The facility served as an extension of the existing Western State Lunatic Asylum, later renamed the Western State Hospital, which had been founded in 1828 (both facilities located in Staunton, Virginia).

Siebel commented on the association between the doctor and the facility by saying, “Yes, the Sanatorium was named in his honor, but he, to the best of our knowledge, never operated out of the sanatorium.  There is much speculation that sterilizations were performed there and we strongly believe such, but again, there is no documented proof of such.  We do state that on the tours because a big misconception is that sterilizations were performed at DeJarnette Sanatorium, while we do believe there were - no such records to back that up.”

“During these times, mental illness was often frowned upon from society.  Many individuals were kept there to as a way to keep them hidden from society and forgotten about,” Siebel added.

The facility later became operated by the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services and came to be known as The Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents. This center officially closed in 1996.

Since then, the property had been abandoned and is considered by many locals to be an eyesore or an uncomfortable reminder of the past. Plans to demolish the original DeJarnette center and put up a shopping mall were made in 2004; however, the project fell through because the proposed mall did not acquire enough tenants. For now, DeJarnette will continue to sit on the Staunton hillside, a cold and grim reminder of the past. 

The Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel: Then and Now

Growing up in Augusta County, I’d often heard of the Crozet Tunnel. It became one of those sites of local legends that older kids would tell the younger kids to scare them. “It’s haunted.”  “Dead bodies were hidden there.” “A camp of hobos lived there.” “Cults hold their ceremonies.”  Anything to get us to shudder. When I became old enough to do my own research, I began to appreciate the tunnel as more than just a scare tactic.

Picture found at http://www.c-ville.com/project-underway-to-add-claudius-crozets-blue-ridge-tunnel-to-national-register-of-historic-places/#.UqfRCPRDt5I

The tunnel, properly titled as the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel, was named after the French engineer, Claudius Crozet, who was also the Chief Engineer for the Virginia Board of Public Works. Crozet determined that it was necessary to establish a transportation link through the Blue Ridge Mountains, connecting the Piedmont region to the Shenandoah Valley. He began construction in 1850, starting simultaneously from the eastern entrance in Afton in Nelson County and from the western entrance in Augusta County near the city of Waynesboro. The contracting firm of Kelley and Larguey, largely consisting of Irish laborers as well as several dozen slaves, slowly excavated the mountain using hand tools and black powder, along with Crozet’s innovations of a smoke-removal ventilation system and the world’s longest siphon. Due to the dangerous nature of this task, many crew members were injured or killed by falling rock, explosions, or other accidents. On December 29, 1856, laborers from both sides of the mountain “holed through” either side, meeting within inches of his carefully-engineered centerline alignment. Constructed of the 4,264 foot tunnel was deemed completed in 1858, making it the longest railroad tunnel in North America at the time.

Current view of the western entrance in Augusta County.

Current view of the eastern entrance in Nelson County.

Less than a century later, in 1944, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway completed a new tunnel adjacent to the Blue Ridge Tunnel to accommodate for larger freight trains. The original tunnel has not been utilized since, but was designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1976.

In 2012, a non-profit organization called the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation was formed with the purpose of preserving this land mark. Their goal is to restore the tunnel and to reopen it to the public as a recreational destination – allowing bicyclists, hikers, and other tourists from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, the Appalachian Trail, and U.S. Bicycle Route 76 to visit and learn of its history.

Tim Padalino, a member of the Foundation, commented, “The Tunnel project should incorporate elements of historical interpretation, education, and heritage tourism. The history(s) of the Tunnel result in opportunities for school field trips, increased heritage tourism, and education and celebration of the cultural history of the Tunnel.”

“The Tunnel is a unique and an incredible historic resource. It provides an exciting opportunity to restore an underutilized historic asset for a new era of public re-use as a recreational asset of tremendous experiential value, and as a cultural landscape of great educational value. Further, it is a community resource that is at risk – it is in danger from ongoing illegal visitation and increased vandalism. Contrary to what the common perception may be, the Tunnel does not have a static status – it will either continue to be neglected and vandalized, or it can be restored. The Foundation believes that the time for action is now, in order to ensure that the Tunnel’s future is a success story, and not a lost opportunity.”

More information on the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation, and the tunnel itself, can be found at http://blueridgetunnel.org/

Swannanoa Palace: The Jewel of the Blue Ridge

When driving through the Appalachian Mountains, either the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Skyline Drive, you teach yourself to expect the unexpected – a deer about to cross your path, a fallen tree, hikers looking for a ride into town. However, you probably would not expect to come across a marble Italianate palace. Nevertheless, at the peak of Afton mountain sits the decadent Swannanoa Palace, dubbed the Jewel of The Blue Ridge.

The story of this mansion begins in 1911, when Major James Dooley approached a farmer named J.B. Yount about purchasing 1,000 acres that covered the Afton mountaintop. The rather large purchase was not so burdensome for Dooley who had lived a very profitable life. Dooley graduated from Georgetown University and enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862. After the war, he returned to Georgetown to receive his law degree. He then became the head of the Danville Railroad, making him one of the lesser known, but still successful industrialists of the South. He and his wife, Sally May, moved to Richmond and built their home, Maymont, in 1890. While living in Richmond, Dooley served as mayor and as a member of the Virginia legislature.

The palace is said to have been constructed as an act of love by Dooley to his wife Sally May – a sentiment that is reflected in the Tiffany stain glass window at the top of the main staircase, which features the image of Sally May. Other lavish details are the Italian Carrera marble that make up the interior of the palace, and the white Georgia marble that covers the exterior. The estate included the main house, a lookout tower, servant’s quarters, various fountains, and elaborate three-tiered garden. The main house itself is made up of 52 rooms and 23,000 sq. ft.

Tiffany stain glass window of Sally May Dooley. View from the inside of the mansion.

View of the look-out tower behind the gardens and mansion.

View of the main staircase. 

View of the second floor from the main staircase. 

After the deaths of both Major Dooley and Sally May, the property was left to Dooley’s two sisters, who then sold Swannanoa to the Valley Corporation in 1926. The Valley Corporation had intended to make the property a country club, but the business closed after only 3 years (1929-1932). Skyline Swannanoa, Inc., formed by A.T. Dulaney in 1944, then purchased Swannanoa. During this time, specifically 1949, the mansion was leased to Walter and Lao Russell, who used the property for their School of Science and Philosophy. Their organization gave up their lease in 1998. After their leave, Skyline Swannanoa, Inc. started renovations on the property.

I contacted the current property owner, Phil Dulaney, who also owns the Inn at Afton and other properties on the mountain to learn more about the current state of the property.

Dulaney commented that, “There are very elaborate plans in the works. We’ve already put in about three million dollars over the past 7 years. You know, this is the 2^nd worst economy we’ve had in our [nation’s] history and it’s just hard to get things going.”

Suzi Foltz, the author of this piece, stands in the fountain behind the mansion.

Richard Stephens, a visitor to Swannanoa, stands under one of the garden terraces. 

Dulaney informed me that the property hosts about 60 events every year, including about 20 weddings during 2013 and a handful of open houses that charges an admission of $4 per person. For 2014, Dulaney intends to host 16 additional open houses. More can be learned about these by visiting http://www.virginia.org/Listings/Events/SwannanoaPalaceOpenHouse/