Back in the Day

A historical glimpse into Harrisonburg's beginnings

At first glance, Harrisonburg may seem like a humdrum place to spend four years of college. Look again — chickens, famous chestnut trees, a ghost and countless other surprises await those who take a little time to look at the history.

Harrisonburg: What's In a Name?

Harrisonburg wasn't always known by its current name.

"The town used to be called 'Rocktown' because of its abundance of limestone," graduate student Dave Urso said. Urso also is a Student Ambassador who trains for giving on-campus tours by learning about aspects of JMU's history.

Lured by the lush beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, the Thomas Harrison family abandoned the more-developed New York coast in 1737 to settle in Harrisonburg's midst, according to the city of Harrisonburg Web site, www.ci.harrisonburg.va.us. Years later, in 1780, Thomas Harrison sold two and a half acres of his extensive holdings for public use.

"Rocktown" gradually was replaced by "Harrisonburg," in honor of its benefactor. The Virginia House of Delegates recognized Harrisonburg as the seat of Rockingham County on July 1, 1780, according to the Web site.

Harrisonburg, once established, seemed to grow like grass after a forest fire. In 1870, 2,000 residents called Harrisonburg home. By 1920, 5,875 people populated Harrisonburg and, by 1970, 14,605 residents, according to the Web site. By 2000, Harrisonburg's residents numbered 40,468.

The 'Burg's Claim to Fame

In its earliest days, two crops presided over the Valley's agricultural arena — wheat and hemp.

"Wheat grows well because of the soil here," said Darryl Nash, a part-time faculty member in the history department. "It needs long, flat fields, which are readily available in this area."

While wheat found plentiful breeding grounds, hemp grown in Harrisonburg found a bountiful market in the rope industry — most of which was sent to Richmond for use on ships and in shipyards, according to Nash.

When Harrisonburg industrialized in the 1910s and 1920s, a new market moved in. The invention of the egg incubation system allowed for a mass production of chicken and turkey, according to Nash. Harrisonburg's new success was in the poultry industry.

In Harrisonburg, the bird business probably is noticeable. Factories are sprinkled around town, and trucks lined with chickens occasionally roll through, leaving a trail of feathers in their wake. The industry also contributes to a perpetual and notorious smell — the "dog food" odor, which especially is discernible in wet weather.

The smell originates not from the birds themselves, but from their feed.

"Because corn is cheap, they use corn for the feed," Nash said. "Sometimes they scoop up turkey poop and put it in with the corn, and they churn it up. They also add molasses, which is what makes the smell when it rains."

Harrisonburg Wasn't Built in a Day

Most towns have their share of old buildings. In Harrisonburg, many already have met their end, but some still survive to tell their tales.

Some of the oldest buildings stand downtown in their original form. James McHone's Antique Jewelry store on South Court Square and the Rockingham National Bank on the southeast corner of Court Square are two of the survivors, according to Nash. The courthouse itself, however, was renovated decades ago.

"There's always been a courthouse on that land," Nash said. "But, this is the fourth one that's been there."

Most of the original buildings downtown were houses, according to Nash. Many of these have been converted to bed and breakfasts, including the Joshua Wilton House, museums such as The Daniel Harrison House or offices such as The Thomas Harrison House.

Behind the Name

In 1932, James Madison University still was known as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women. Fourteen years after its founding in 1908, it was time for a name change.

Local citizens rallied around names from local history such as Thomas Harrison, George B. Keezell and Turner Ashby. Farmville — now the location of Longwood University — and East Radford argued passionately that, under a different name, the emphasis on teacher training would be lost, according to a March 1983 issue of The Breeze.

However, President Samuel P. Duke won the majority of other schools' approval to use the name of the United State's fourth president, James Madison. In 1938, the General Assembly passed the name change, and it was official — the State Normal and Industrial School for Women was now Madison College, according to the same issue of The Breeze.

Madison College became James Madison University in 1977.

Turning Back Time: A Brief History of JMU

The State Normal Institute for Women first included only two buildings — Maury and Jackson Halls, both of which were built for $30,000 each, according to a March 1983 issue of The Breeze. Maury Hall was the academic building and Jackson Hall was the dining and residential hall.

In later years, more buildings were added, along with a system of tunnels underneath the Quad, according to Urso.

"These tunnels were put in so that when it was an all-female college, the girls could walk between buildings when it was raining and not have to worry about getting wet," Urso said.

JMU's original graduates earned their diplomas in the following ways — household art students learned how to keep tidy homes and cook wholesome meals, manual arts students absorbed knowledge of curtain and picture hanging and small article repair and rural arts students mastered gardening, poultry raising and bee culture.

In following years, girls also were required to pass a physical fitness test that included swimming the length of the pool located in the basement of Keezell Hall, which was built in 1926, according to sophomore Jessica Major, who also is a Student Ambassador.

"When they switched Keezell [Hall] into classrooms, they never leveled out the floor," Urso said. "As a result, some of the classrooms' floors remain slanted."

Men first walked the grounds in 1946 under President Samuel Duke. One year later, JMU's male population organized the school's first fraternity — Sigma Delta Rho, now Tau Kappa Epsilon. The same year, football took its first baby steps in the form of five touch football teams, each sponsored by a sorority. However, it was not until 20 years later, in 1966, that men and women equally were represented on campus, according to a March 1983 issue of The Breeze.