Berkeley County Historical Society

10/31/2026

The Locked Room.
A Halloween tale loosely based on a true story of Berkeley County.
The Smithson home was beautiful. A stone house atop a hill where there was a commanding view of the surrounding valley. The family had lived here since the late 1700s. It had been a very prosperous plantation in its day.
Years and generations of the family passed tales of their exploits and accomplishments. Weddings and funerals, births and deaths… However, there was one tale that puzzled young Elizabeth Smithson.
Margaret Smithson had married into the family, lived on the family plantation for about fifteen years, and then just vanished. No one mentioned her. No one even thought of her. Except for Elizabeth.
She began to search family Bibles, family letters and papers for clues as to Margaret’s fate. What she found was references to mundane everyday events, but no suggestion as to what may have happened to her. Although a few letters mentioned her occasional episodes of what was referred to as melancholy, but nothing occurred that would indicate anything extreme had happened.
In the late 1890s, mention of Margaret ceased altogether. Even in diaries, Margaret ceased to exist. However, a puzzling new topic appeared for a short time, then it, too, disappeared. It was simply referred to as “the locked room.” Elizabeth knew of the room’s existence, but had, up to this point, not been concerned about what lay behind the locked door.
Elizabeth began searching the house for a key that would fit the locked door in the corner of the attic. Eventually she found the key and unlocked the door.
All her questions about Margaret were instantly answered when she saw the rope by which Margaret had hanged herself, and where it had been cut off when her body had been removed!

10/24/2026

David Hunter Strother, also known as Porte Crayon, was born in Martinsburg on September 26, 1816, and spent his formative years in the community. Strother achieved distinction in a variety of fields, including journalism, art, hospitality, politics, and diplomacy. He also served in the United States Army, ultimately attaining the rank of brevet brigadier general.
In his youth, he aspired to gain admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point. To prepare for this goal, he pursued his education in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Despite these efforts, he was ultimately unsuccessful in securing an appointment to West Point, however, during the Civil War, Strother remained loyal to the Union.
Strother assisted his father in managing a hotel at Berkeley Springs that accommodated approximately 400 guests during the busy season. At the time, the resort was the only spa in the mid-Atlantic region accessible by rail. During the off-season, Strother traveled extensively, drawing upon his experiences for his artistic and literary pursuits. His work appeared in Harper’s Monthly Magazine, earning him recognition as both an illustrator and author. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army and ultimately attained the rank of brevet brigadier general of volunteers. Following the war, he served as an administrator at the Virginia Military Institute and later held the position of United States consul in Mexico.
Strother sketched a cemetery in Paris that he admired and, in collaboration with surveyor J. P. Kearfott, adapted the design for a hillside in Virginia. This would, of course, become Green Hill Cemetery in Martinsburg.
Strother maintained extensive diaries throughout the Civil War, documenting events as they unfolded. These accounts were later published under the title “A Virginia Yankee in the Civil War”, providing a valuable firsthand perspective on the conflict. During his service in the Shenandoah Valley in 1864, Strother served alongside Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, both of whom would later become presidents of the United States. David Hunter Strother died in 1888 and was buried in Green Hill Cemetery in Martinsburg, a fitting final resting place given his role in helping design the cemetery. His burial there represents a lasting connection between Strother’s personal legacy and the community in which he was born and raised.

10/17/2026

The former Hannis Distilling Company property, near exchange place in Martinsburg, was on the market in 1919. West Virginia had gone “dry” and the distillery had become unnecessary. The location was a great one, along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line in the heart of apple country. The National Fruit Company purchased it for a third vinegar plant.
The property had six presses and a storage capacity of 2,200,000 gallons along with a bottling operation. This brought National Fruit’s total storage capacity to about 6,000,000 gallons. After World War I, the apple crop was initially small, but heavy demand, high prices, and post-war inflation created big profits. Until 1929, the Martinsburg plant was engaged in production of vinegar and apple sauce.
The Cumberland Valley Fruit Products Company of Martinsburg was purchased in the early 1930s. It had been producing vinegar, apple juice and canned apples with 28 vinegar tanks and a bottling works. This plant was eventually closed down.
In 1934, apple pectin production was begun, and it continued until 1958. In the late 1930s a prune juice operation began and lasted for fifteen years. In 1947, the production of apple sauce was again added and then expanded, and in 1961, a canned peach operation, which lasted only a year, was begun. Sliced apples were added to the Martinsburg plant’s repertoire in 1964.
In addition to all this, the plant provided employment for local people during its peak years. During the packing season in the early 1960s, National Fruit employed 2,300 people and processed approximately three million bushels of apples. National Fruit marketed its products under the White House label in most of the fifty states, most heavily in the eastern U.S. In addition the company served as a local buyer for the orchardists of the area.
While the Martinsburg plant was shut down some time ago, the company still operates as one of Wi******er, Virginia’s oldest industries.

10/13/2026

10/10/2026

John Poland, Sr. established the Perfection Garment Company in 1905 with $300 he borrowed on his life insurance policy. He opened his business with one treadle sewing machine operated by a female employee who made ladies' skirts.
Poland spent his days traveling within a two hundred mile radius of Martinsburg taking orders and selling skirts. He soon bought two more machines and hired two more women, and in the evenings he cut out material for the next day's orders.
During the first ten years of operation, Perfection prospered. As skirts became unpopular, Poland discontinued their manufacture and began making muslin underwear in 1915. In 1919, ladies' dresses were added, and by 1923, the dresses were so popular that Poland discontinued the production of underwear.
In October, 1929, when the stock market crashed, Perfection suffered losses like everyone else. By this time, the company had moved to Wi******er Avenue. Poland, despite the losses, maintained operations by reducing work hours so he could continue to provide employment.
In 1932, production improved. The company now employed 440 men and women. Women were the majority of the work force, while men were employed as cloth cutters. The company manufactured twelve thousand dresses a day, which sold at one dollar apiece. In 1934, the company began to entertain the idea of selling to national stores, such as Sears, Roebuck and Company and J.C. Penney.
During World War II, Perfection filled three types of government orders. The company shipped three hundred thousand seersucker slips to Europe. Twenty-five thousand cotton shirts were manufactured for the U.S. Navy. Company employees sewed material for parachutes as well. All this was accompished while continuing the line of women's house dresses, pajamas and work uniforms.
During this time period, attempts were made to unionize Perfection with not always “good” results, as Poland and Perfection resisted unionization. John Poland, Sr. died on December 14, 1952. The Martinsburg Journal reported, “one aspect of his long life was his successful opposition to unionization." Two days prior to his death, Perfection's employees voted in favor of unionization. In the Spring of 1953, Perfection Garment workers struck for twelve days, ending on May 4, 1953.
Throughout its history, most Perfection employees were women who stayed with the company for a long time. Most of the male employees were supervisors, cutters or management. The Perfection Garment Company continued to manufacture textiles until December 1991.
Photo from glass negative, circa 1910.

10/04/2026

Sometimes things take a long to come together, but when it finally does, you understand why you had to wait so long.

Over 10 years ago conversations began about placing a mural on one of the Berkeley County Historical Society buildings. Today, the mural was revealed during the annual membership get together.

We love being able to see a project come together and being able to find the right people to work with.

Thank you Tony M. Music and Arts Foundation for choosing this site and Artist Jamie for the beautiful mural.
We also like to thank the City of Martinsburg, Mayor Knowles, City Council member David Haarberg, BCHS board, and BCHS and other community members for attending today.

If for some reason you are a member and did not receive the email invite, please email us at [email protected]. Please provide your email address and mailing address.

If you would like to become a member, please visit www.historicberkeley.org.

10/03/2026

There were no severe storm or tornado warnings on Thursday, May 30, 1889. Not in the lower Falling Waters area or anywhere else. A dark cloud was following the Potomac River, as they often do. A group of Cumberland Valley Railroad workers watched as the saw a “cylindrical shaped finger shoot to the ground” and sweep up everything in its path.
Two fishermen observed the tornado “pounce” upon the Potomac and drive a sheet of water, exposing the river bottom. Trees were twisted off their trunks, some were pulled from the earth, fences were scattered. The ground was swept bare.
Clarence Rinker directed the other occupants of his residence to the cellar just as the tornado was approaching them. John “Dixie” Vogle and J.E. Powell were repairing a pump near the house. They were forced to take refuge under a corn crib.
The barn was destroyed. Its roof had been thrown into the air and crashed down upon the corn crib. The doors to the cellar, where the house's residents had gone to escape the tornado's fury, had been forced open by the storm. The slate roof was torn off the house, with pieces of it found two miles away.
Vogle, bruised, bleeding and barely able to walk, came from the shed and began to relate where Powell was, when he fell unconscious. The next train took him to Martinsburg, but he died shortly after being taken from the car. Powell was found crushed into the ground under the corn crib. He had to be removed by digging under his body.
Pictured are photos of the Falling Waters area during its resort days. People are unidentified.
The tornado continued to the house of Martin Boward. The house was completely destroyed and nothing was salvageable. Mrs. Boward, at home with an infant at the time, was seriously injured. The infant's cradle was shattered, yet the infant escaped uninjured.
The storm's path left a swatch of destruction as the tornado then crossed the Potomac and was lost from sight. Photos are from the days when Falling Waters was a resort area. People are unidentified.

09/28/2026

UPDATE! UPDATE! Sunday afternoon, October 4 is the official "unveiling" of the mural.

09/26/2026

Michael Rooney, a prominent early settler, was born in Ireland in 1763, was accused by some of his enemies to have been a pirate in his early life. He certainly spent some years traveling over the oceans in the British service, where he gained the reputation as a skillful navigator and expert sailor. Rooney was multi-lingual and very well-educated, with particular skills in mathematics.
Early in the 19th century, Rooney purchased land on the north side of the south branch of Cherry Run near Sleepy Creek Mountain. He had moved from Loudoun County to Berkeley about 1805. In all, he purchased 921 acres.
Rooney was a Justice of the Peace in Berkeley County. He found himself on the wrong side of the boundary when it was set between Berkeley and Morgan County. According to local tradition, he abandoned his house and built another on the Berkeley County side of the boundary line so he could continue his magisterial duties in Berkeley County.
He held his court at Snodgrass Tavern along the banks of Back Creek, a place of great attraction for many miles around. It was so well-known for his trials that it was also known as “Mike Rooney’s Court” by residents of the area. He was also eventually elected high Sheriff of Berkeley County.
Mike Rooney was a slavehohlder, but his views concerning the disposition of his enslaved people were reflected in his will. In it, he provided for their emancipation and made arrangements for their transportation to Liberia. Charles James Faulkner was his agent, with full power to carry out his benevolence. His slaves, however, after receiving their emancipation, had no desires to go to Liberia, and declined his generous offer to transport them there.
Michael Rooney died September 29, 1837, and was buried in the family cemetery on his property in the Woods Resort. There are approximately twenty burials in the cemetery, with but very few engraved stones, and a number of field stones.

09/19/2026

We've heard a lot about America 250 years ago – historical events and facts. Interesting information, but, what did they eat?
Farmers in the Carolinas, businessmen in New England, they were a diverse group of colonists, but they all had the same basic needs, and you can be sure that their diets were vastly different from one colony to another.
The colonists brought recipes and cooking and preparatio techniques, and livestock from their homes across the Atlantic. The enslaved also contributed seasonings and traditions that eventually became part of Southern traditional cooking. Many ingredients and traditions that define American cooking were already in place.
Europeans defined a proper meal as bread, b**r, meat, dairy, and pudding. This was difficult to achieve consistently in America. The main ingredient in colonial diet was corn. Indigenous peoples taught the colonists how to grow corn and it became a staple. Ground cornmeal provided many options from pudding to johnnycakes, which were griddle cakes that were popular everywhere.
They also grew beans and squash, and the enslaved introduced okra into soups and stews. Salted pork and beef, and salted or dried fish were the meats that were most readily available. Perhaps the most common dish was pottage. Pottage is a hearty stew that simmered for hours over a hearth that contained whatever was available. It was filling, economical and adaptable.
Bread was universal. Where wheat was grown, bread was similar to what was available in Europe. In New England, where wheat was more difficult to grow, “rye-and-Indian” bread was prevalent. Some loaves weighed several pounds. Most of all, there were no supermarkets or convenience stores, and resupply was not always easy. Can you imagine what it was like to live under these conditions?