Repaired Kernstown Battlefield House Will Be Open To Public on Anniversary

By Deborah Fitts

Feb/Mar 2006

WINCHESTER, Va. — The historic Pritchard House at Kernstown battlefield underwent some important repairs late in the fall, propelled by a $10,000 grant from the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

Visitors to the March 25 First Kernstown anniversary observance will be able to see the three-story brick structure, built in 1854 by the Pritchard family, now that it is now stabilized, according to Larry Duncan, president of the Kernstown Battlefield Association (KBA). The nonprofit owns the house and the 315-acre Pritchard-Grim farm, the site of First and Second Kernstown, battles fought March 23, 1862, and July 24, 1864.

Duncan said the repair project was initiated when the back wall of the house was found to be “in a very dangerous condition — probably caving in” due to underlying drainage problems.

The house was abandoned in the 1940s. By the time KBA purchased the property in 2000, Duncan said, most of the windows were broken out and wild animals were coming and going through holes in the foundation.

KBA has moved slowly to stabilize the building, guarding its purse strings. But given the imminent threat, the organization matched the foundation’s grant with $10,000 of KBA’s own funds in order to carry out the $20,000 repair project. A professional contractor dismantled the trouble spots and rebuilt the wall where necessary.

Duncan said KBA was “anxious to show everybody what we’ve done. A lot of people were waiting for us to do something serious on the Pritchard House.”

Until this project there had been “stop-gap” measures to seal the building against animals and the weather, he explained.

The fact that the Pritchard House was neglected for decades allowed for the deterioration, Duncan said. But it also meant that it was never modernized, and much of the woodwork is original. KBA installed a temporary lighting system so the house can be opened to the public on special occasions.

Next phases of the restoration will include replacement of the windows and shutters, and installation of a permanent electrical system. Thanks to an Eagle Scout project, the front porch has been repaired.

KBA applied two years in a row for funding from the federal American Battlefield Protection Program to draft a historic structures report to guide the Pritchard House restoration, but they were bypassed both times in favor of structures that were in more dire need, Duncan said. This year, instead, the organization is requesting money for interpretation.

Duncan said KBA will also approach the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation again, this time seeking a grant to paint the barn, a local landmark.

The Pritchard House will be open to the public March 25, when KBA marks the anniversary of First Kernstown. Reenactors from the North-South Skirmish Association will deploy more than a dozen cannon, according to Duncan, and historian Gary Ecelbarger will give guided tours. In a cooperative venture, First Kernstown will also be highlighted nearby at Rose Hill, formerly Glen Burnie, where living historians will reenact infantry action in the battle.

Duncan noted that in 1996 Frederick County wrote a management plan for the battlefield that estimated the restoration of the Pritchard House at $3 million.

For information about the anniversary program call Gary Crawford, (703) 478-9530. For information about KBA write kba@kernstownbattle.org or go to www.kernstownbattle.org.

Donations may be sent to Kernstown Battlefield Association, P.O. Box 1327, Winchester, VA 22604