Fall 2024 Meeting Registration

SPOOM-MA FALL MEETING

November 7 to 9, 2024

West Virginia and Northern Virginia

CONFERENCE HOTEL: Hampton Inn and Suites, 157 Pimlico Drive, Charles Town, WV.
A block of 10 rooms (1 King or 2 Queen beds) has been reserved for check-in November 7 or 8. The room rate per room reserved will be $139 (+tax) per night for Thursday, November 7^th and $179 (+tax) per night for Friday, November 8^th.  To make reservations call 1-304-725-2200 and mention the group code SPO, or follow this link online https://group.hamptoninn.com/p9rm72  and confirm the dates needed for your stay. Room block will be on hold until October 10th. After that date, rate applies but availability is not guaranteed.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 ($10 for Shepherds Mill Tour and Meet & Greet RSVP)

4:00-6:00 pm:  Shepherd’s Mill (Park at the nearby train station - 111 Audrey Egle Drive, Shepherdstown, WV 25443). Built some time before 1739 by Thomas Shepherd, the mill still stands on a tributary of the Potomac River in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. In the late 19th century, the original wooden water wheel was replaced with a 40-foot Fitz water wheel. Today Shepherd's Mill is a private residence, but still maintains much of its millworks and one set of buhr stones. The mill was restored in the early 1970’s by Nancy and Ira Glackens, and today, Adam and Shannon Thomas are doing their best to preserve and maintain the property as a significant piece of local history, and their home. Mill Address: 207 E High St, Shepherdstown, WV (Park at the train station, address above - a 3 minute walk to the mill).

6:00 to 8:00 pm: Meet and Greet Dinner at Bavarian Inn, 164 Shepherd Grade Road, Shepherdstown, WV. Located a short distance from Shepherd’s Mill, the historic Bavarian Inn is perched on a spectacular bluff overlooking the Potomac River. We’ll dine at their new Bavarian Brothers Brewery; conference attendees will be able to order from a seasonal menu and pay separately for their individual meals.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 ($40 for Tour of Three Sites and Box Lunch)

9:30-11:00 am: Locke’s Mill, 1600 Locke's Mill Rd, Berryville, VA. In 2012 Jon and Carol Joyce lovingly completed the restoration of this mill whose site dates to 1751. Under new ownership, the mill now grinds organic grains. It is the only certified organic stone mill known on the east coast. Tour will answer questions about certification and demonstrate grinding.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNNZKzMeHX8

11:30 am to 1:30 pm:  Box Lunch and Tour at Ayrshire Farms, 21846 Trappe Road, Upperville, VA.4 (http://www.ayrshirefarm.com/AyrshireFarm/AFHome.html), located near Upperville VA, is a certified organic farm, specializing in rare and endangered breeds of livestock and heirloom fruits and vegetables. It is a working manor farm committed to Certified Humane®, organic, sustainable farming methods. The manor house has 140 rooms. Our host will be Sandra Lerner, an American businesswoman and philanthropist who co-founded Cisco Systems and invested the money from its sale to pursue interests in animal welfare and women's writing.

3:00 to 5:00 pm: Waterford Walking and Mill Tour, 40222 Fairfax Street, Waterford, VA. www.waterfordvillage.org/visiting-waterford/waterford-walking-tour-lower
Waterford Village has been designated a National Historic Landmark District since 1970. It was founded circa 1733 by Amos Janney, a Quaker from Bucks County, PA, and other Quakers followed. Mills were built along Catoctin Creek. The village grew until it was the second largest town in Loudoun County – pre-Civil War. Many buildings still in use in the village were built before 1840. We will take a guided tour through the village ending at the Waterford Mill, which has recently been under restoration of its Hurst Frame and will have static displays of milling equipment, indicating the layout of the early flour grinding process. The tour will meet at the Old School Auditorium at 40222 Fairfax Street. If lost, call Dan Campbell at 484-947-8229.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 ($10 for Burwell-Morgan Mill Tour)

10:00 am to 12:00 pm: Burwell-Morgan Mill, 15 Tannery Lane, Millwood, VA.
Built in the early 1780s in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, the Burwell-Morgan Mill is one of the oldest, most original operational grist mills in the country. They offer milling demonstrations on Saturdays, so we'll see the mill in operation. Also on hand will be members of the Slave Dwelling Project, who will be performing a cooking demonstration and talking about the everyday life of the enslaved.

* * REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS  OCTOBER 31* *

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