Massanutten Restaurant Building in Strasburg
Files
Title
Massanutten Restaurant Building in Strasburg
Subject
Strasburg (Va)
Restaurants - Virginia - Strasburg
Buildings - Virginia - Strasburg
Description
Photograph of the two-story building that housed the Massanutten Restaurant on the the northeast side of the intersection of Massanutten and W. King Streets in Strasburg, Virginia.
Two unidentified people, a woman and a man, are standing in front of the restaurant. The left side of the building was the site of a car wash business.
The building was constructed in 1927 by B.F. Ritenour, who wanted a structure fronting on Massanutten Street and built of tile with a brick veneer. Initially, the lower floor was a car storage business and the second floor was the town's first public hall, where various organizations or individuals could hold banquets, dances or similar public gatherings.
Between 1927 and 1929, the Northern Virginia Daily published notices of square dances, basketball games, and roller skating to be held at the "New Ritenour Hall".
By 1929, his son, Irvin Leon Ritenour, was operating the Massanutten Restaurant on part of the first floor of the building. He sold the restaurant to Harold E. McKee, who had been employed by the New York Restaurant in Woodstock. Harold and his family moved from Woodstock to Strasburg and operated the Massanutten Restaurant for many years.
We are unsure when the restaurant closed. However, on 6 January 1948, the Northern Virginia newspaper published a short notice saying, "The loyal Order of the Moose No. 403, of Strasburg, will hold their first meeting tonight at 8 pm in their new home, which was formerly the Massanutten Restaurant."
The building still stands today.
Two unidentified people, a woman and a man, are standing in front of the restaurant. The left side of the building was the site of a car wash business.
The building was constructed in 1927 by B.F. Ritenour, who wanted a structure fronting on Massanutten Street and built of tile with a brick veneer. Initially, the lower floor was a car storage business and the second floor was the town's first public hall, where various organizations or individuals could hold banquets, dances or similar public gatherings.
Between 1927 and 1929, the Northern Virginia Daily published notices of square dances, basketball games, and roller skating to be held at the "New Ritenour Hall".
By 1929, his son, Irvin Leon Ritenour, was operating the Massanutten Restaurant on part of the first floor of the building. He sold the restaurant to Harold E. McKee, who had been employed by the New York Restaurant in Woodstock. Harold and his family moved from Woodstock to Strasburg and operated the Massanutten Restaurant for many years.
We are unsure when the restaurant closed. However, on 6 January 1948, the Northern Virginia newspaper published a short notice saying, "The loyal Order of the Moose No. 403, of Strasburg, will hold their first meeting tonight at 8 pm in their new home, which was formerly the Massanutten Restaurant."
The building still stands today.
Creator
Morrison Studio
Source
Morrison Studio Collection - Shenandoah County Historical Society
Publisher
Shenandoah County Library
Date
Undated
Contributor
Identified by staff of the Shenandoah County Historical Society (SCHS) on an undated ID form.
Information about the building's history was compiled from various Northern Virginia Daily newspaper notices and advertisements from the 1927-1948 timeframe.
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED
Relation
The Massanutten Restaurant building appears in Morrison Studio Collection numbers 027300 and 027303.
Identifier
027300
Original Format
Glass Negative
Collection
Citationzork
Morrison Studio, “Massanutten Restaurant Building in Strasburg,” Shenandoah County Library Archives, accessed December 5, 2025, https://archives.countylib.org/items/show/56978.
Comments