Massanutten Military Academy - Adjutant Yearbook (Woodstock, VA)

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Articles of incorporation were granted and a Board of Trustees was authorized by judge Thomas W. Harrison in 1899. Rev. -I. B. Stonesifer, a pastor, was designated to solicit funds for the remodeling of the building and the purchase of equipment to open what was to be known as a co- educational school. At that time there were very few high schools in the Shenandoah Valley. Private schools held sway, but even these were more modest than they are today. The church membership was quite elated over the idea of a school and supported the project enthusiastically. The Riddleberger building was remodeled to comprehend all the needs of a small school. Thus. Massanutten started on her career much as a young man with a knap- sack slung across his shoulder would start on a journey to make his fortune. For fourteen years the school was conducted as a co-educational school and the boys and girls came mostly from the Shenandoah Valley. Mr. Garrison presided as Head Master for four years, and then retired because of ill health. He was followed by the Rev. R. R. jones, who served for two years. The tuition charge was very low and it was difficult to finance the school. Thus the question arose whether or not the school should be continued. lt was then that Dr. Benchoff was in- vited to take charge of the school in the capacity of Head Master. After visiting Woodstock, he was impressed with the beautiful location and the possibilities of building a preparatory school. He accepted the call and has been Head Master of the school he has built from that first single build- ing since the year 1905. At first, Dr. Benchoff had in mind the building of a school for one hundred boarding students. After World War I he revised his program, basing his decision upon his experience and the inflation that followed that period. Having made a careful study of the situation during his administration, he set his goal at two hundred boys as a safe num- ber which can be controlled and directed ideally in a program of Christian education and leadership. A properly written history of Massanutten would read like an epic. During these years it has been the task of the Head Master not only to find funds for buildings, but to End students, set standards, direct activities, and comprehend all of the problems that naturally go with an expanding institution. Lantz Hall was erected in 1909, Sperry Hall in 1916, the Virginia Lee Harrison Gymnasium in 1924, the annex to Lantz Hall, equally as large as Lantz Hall itself, in 1927, and the J. Thomas Har- rison Swimming Pool in 1928. Each of these buildings is exceptionally well-constructed. From the beginning there was a plan and, step by step, that plan is being transferred from paper to reality.

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HISTORY HE WORD MASSANUTTEN is rather diliicult for a great many people to under- stand, for it is not what you would call a common word. It is, in fact, unique. It is of Indian origin and is supposed to mean Great Mountain, although it has received different deh- nitions by historians. This name has been applied for many years to the fifty-mile range of mountains which splits the Shenandoah Valley from Strasburg to Harrisonburg into two sections. It is a beauti- ful range of mountains, towering in some places over two thousand feet above sea level. Some geologists say it is a slip from the Appalachians on the west boundary of the Shenandoah Valley. Be that as it may, the word MASSANUTTEN is very well-known in Virginia and when the founders of our school selected this name, they gave it a distinctive character. Some schools are named after the names of the towns in which they are locatedg others take the names of bene- factors and distinguished people. Suffice to say that in the half-century that Massanutten has been operating, the name has become well-known throughout the land, through many channels of publicity and, by virtue of the songs and cheers and sentiments attached to the name, it is very dear to the alumni and friends of the school. The village pastors of the Shenandoah Valley, after discussing the matter at church meetings for many years, made known their wishes to establish an institution of learning. In 1898 they bought the property belonging to former Senator Riddle- berger on the south,side of Woodstock. This con- sisted of a spacious colonial house surrounded by a grove of young Norway maples. The house had been erected in 1878 and the trees planted soon afterwards. Massanutten is the product not only of the de- sire of the membership of the Reformed Church in the surrounding area, but was the dream of a few men who found leadership in the Rev. J. Silor Garrison, who, at the present time, lives in retire- ment in the neighboring town of Harrisonburg.

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From an original boarding school of a dozen or so boys and girls it has grown to an enrollment of approximately one hundred and fifty boarding students and fifteen day students, This does not seem remarkable in itself unless you know the story, which has shown a steady increase of en- rollment varying downward only very slightly in bad years, but always marching upward toward that final goal. 1 The original campus of five acres has grown nearly six times that much. It has been landscaped and athletic fields, parade fields, and other land have been donated or purchased. Shrubbery and flowers have been planted and the ivy-covered walls proclaim the beauty and solemn reticence of the buildings. More than sufficient land has been purchased to take care of the future, and all of the activities that would be required in the set-up for a two hundred boy school have been provided for. Even the central heating plant was installed sufficiently large to take care of the proposed new building, which will complete the picture. Up to this time the task has been that of pioneer- ing, and now Massanutten faces a new era. Dr. Benchoff has long had it in mind to develop a camp in the Massanutten mountains or along the Shenandoah River somewhere, which would serve as a retreat for camping expeditions. Herein lies another interesting story in which one of the famous seven river bends of the Shenandoah River was obtained through gift and purchase. We have watched the growth of Camp Lupton now for fifteen years as a summer camp for the younger boys, and are as proud of its growth as we are of the Academy. This camp carries out the idea of outdoor life and recreation, and all who see it are delighted with the equipment and the environ- ment. It also has splendid possibilities and we are proudly watching its growth. This, in brief, is the story of Massanutten. A good elder had left a thousand dollars to the village pastors which was their sole asset when they decided to purchase the Riddleberger property for use as a school. That gift has been matched by many others, some larger, some smaller. This is a witness of the outstanding devotion of the alumni. It has built one building after another, leaving us no doubt as to the reaching of the ulti- mate goal of another building and a two hundred boy school. Other sections and paragraphs in this book speak of our achievements. Many people have wondered why we have risen to such a high posi- tion in the secondary field of education, with graduates having attended and attending a great part of Americas colleges and universities and with a record that is enviable. Herein lies the answer. Within this book is a day-by-day record of our daily preparation. Where else can be found a better testimonial to the great spirit which has caught us in its grasp and is building us and preparing us for the road ahead-the Spirit of Massanutten. ,xx Q7 A X , K A gk: 'Q . SQ . , at Y 'K' ,f a W-aa .V , ig .f 5' 'iQ'l'QlK-'V 7