We'll stamp your National Historic District passport!
We'll stamp your National Historic District passport!
"Absolutely fascinating. Great museum." Bob and Joan, Great Britain
"Thanks for a great job and the hospitality" Marty, New Jersey
"Wonderful museum." Don and Sharon, Florida
"Wonderful that you are preserving history." Doris Carpenter, Grottoes, VA
The Society of Port Republic Preservationists, Inc.
In 1976 a group of concerned citizens initiated the Society of Port Republic
Preservationists, Inc. (SPRP) to preserve the rich history and unique
character of Port Republic, Virginia. SPRP continues its mission by
seeking protective legislative decisions, preserving community
landmarks, providing educational information, and sponsoring community
activities.
After receiving listings for the village with the Virginia Landmarks Commission in 1978, and the
National
Register of Historic Places in
1981, SPRP began collecting artifacts and oral history with the
intention of establishing an interpretive center. In 1992, funds were
raised from private sources to purchase the Frank Kemper House
(also known as the Turner Ashby House), an historic structure in the
village.
Focusing on essential structural repairs and installing temporary exhibits, it was officially
opened as the Port Republic Museum in 1993. In 1994, in a cooperative
agreement with the American Battlefield Protection Program,
SPRP secured an interpretive planner to produce a master plan for
renovations and interpretive exhibits, and the initiation of permanent
exhibits in the Turner Ashby Room. Since then, the Society has
continued to restore the house and improve exhibits, often with the
assistance of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.
As the Society operates without paid staff members or public funds, progress seems slow;
however, the support of the regional community, history devotees, and
loyal volunteers assures SPRP's ultimate success. The Board of Directors
is the decision-making body of the Society. The SPRP also hosts general
membership meetings which include a brief business report, program or entertainment
and refreshments.
Port Republic is a special, but little town, unincorporated, without a "city government."
It is left to the efforts of individuals, the churches, or a group such
as the Society of Port Republic Preservationists to tend to specific
community needs. Inquiries, information, or tax-deductible donations
may be sent to the Society of Port Republic Preservationists, P.O. Box
82, Port Republic, Va. 24471-0082.
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