Bird Haven Oral History Collection
Dublin Core
Title
Bird Haven Oral History Collection
Subject
Bird Haven (Va)
Shenandoah Community Workers
Description
Sometime in the early 1920s Philadelphia banker and philanthropist William Bernard Clark founded the Shenandoah Community Workers organization near what is now Bayse Virginia. This group was designed to provide locals, many of which were economically disadvantaged, with good paying jobs based on their wood working traditions. Clark built a factory on property his grandmother had purchased as a personal retreat and named it Bird Haven Virginia.
Initially the community workers focused on wooden toys and puzzles. Many of these featured birds, Hollywood Stars, or animals. Later the company began to produce small wooden furniture, bowls, and kitchen utensils. Bird Haven closed sometime in the early 1960s.
Following this, most of the records were lost and much of the site's history was forgotten. This oral history project, conducted as part of a partnership between the Shenandoah County Library, James Madison University, and Bird Haven Farm, is designed to recover some of lost parts of the site's story. It focuses on interviews of 14 members of the Bird Haven community, including several employees and individuals who lived nearby. All interviews and transcriptions were conducted by JMU history students and are available for viewing in person at the Shenandoah County Library's Truban Archives.
Initially the community workers focused on wooden toys and puzzles. Many of these featured birds, Hollywood Stars, or animals. Later the company began to produce small wooden furniture, bowls, and kitchen utensils. Bird Haven closed sometime in the early 1960s.
Following this, most of the records were lost and much of the site's history was forgotten. This oral history project, conducted as part of a partnership between the Shenandoah County Library, James Madison University, and Bird Haven Farm, is designed to recover some of lost parts of the site's story. It focuses on interviews of 14 members of the Bird Haven community, including several employees and individuals who lived nearby. All interviews and transcriptions were conducted by JMU history students and are available for viewing in person at the Shenandoah County Library's Truban Archives.
Creator
Shenandoah County Library
James Madison University
Bird Haven Farm
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial (CC-BY-NC)
Language
English
Type
Oral History
Collection Items
Donald Moomaw Oral History
Oral history featuring Donald Moomaw of Orkney Springs Virginia recorded by Tiernan O'Rourke of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the…
Reid Barnhart Oral History
Oral history featuring Reid Barnhart Virginia recorded by Penelope Weinstein of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah Community…
Robert Moomaw Oral History
Oral history featuring Robert Moomaw of Bloomville Ohio recorded by Nathaniel Mayo of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
Leroy Polk Oral History
Oral history featuring Leroy Polk of Edinburg Virginia recorded by Kati Kissane of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah Community…
Betty Dellinger Oral History
Oral history featuring Betty Dellinger of Woodstock Virginia recorded by Joshua Leechof James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
Elmer Curtis Delawder Oral History
Oral history featuring Elmer Curtis Delawder of Bayse Virginia recorded by Jillian Craven of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
Ronald Moomaw Oral History
Oral history featuring Ronald Moomaw of Orkney Springs Virginia recorded by Jiahao Shen of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
Richard Barb Oral History
Oral history featuring Richard Barb of Bayse Virginia recorded by Emmy Freedman of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah Community…
Annabel Reedy Oral History
Oral history featuring Annabel Reedy of Edinburg Virginia recorded by Emily Schmitt of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
Donal Shamburg Oral History
Oral history featuring Donal Shamburg of Mt. Jackson Virginia recorded by Dillon Broadwell of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
Hubert Barb Oral History
Oral history featuring Hubert Barb of Bayse Virginia recorded by Camille Weber of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah Community…
Betty Richards Oral History
Oral history featuring Betty Richards of Edinburg Virginia recorded by Ashlen Clark of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah…
David Cline Oral History
Oral history featuring David Cline of Bayse Virginia recorded by Anthony Green of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird Haven Virginia, the Shenandoah Community…
Teddy Delawder Oral History
Oral history featuring Teddy Delawder of Mt. Jackson Virginia recorded at Morning Star Lutheran Church by Alex Whitehurst of James Madison University. The interview was conducted as part of a project designed to better understand the history of Bird…
Comments
Sandy P Leary
I have some original catalogs from Bird Haven. Mrs Julia Straffin, my aunt, who owned Greystone on Supinlick Ridge Road had a fair amount of Furniture. One piece that still exists is a big breakfront, it may be 40 to 45 inches long and I believe was custom made for Greystone by the original builders of the house.I researched the original owner/builders of Greystone. There were a few pieces of furniture in the house when Mr. and Mrs.Straffin bought the house. I have a newspaper article about this.
Sandy Leary
sandypleary@yahoo.com
Reply
Zach
Thanks for the information Sandy. We are delighted to hear you have preserved some of the history of the area. If you would ever like to conduct some additional research at the Library's Archives or are interested in a good home for those catalogs, please contact us. We would be happy to assist.
Reply