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Shenandoah Valley
Cultural Heritage Museum

Shenandoah Valley Cultural Heritage Museum

Shenandoah Valley
Cultural Heritage Museum

Welcome!

The 1848 Edinburg Mill recreates Shenandoah Valley hands-on history with memorabilia, antiques, old equipment and tools, as well as exhibits about Civil War history, the nation’s first Civilian Conservation Camp ...and much more!

Main museum displays on the second and third floors, ACCESSIBLE BY ELEVATOR. Admission donation to these floors is $3.

Could have spent all day here.  Really superb,  Thank you   (p. Invernes Scotland)


Thank you for saving history


Love your brooms


My second time to the Mill.  So interesting!


We truly believe the museum is historic and worthwhile to pursue


Good job!!!


Thanks for having us.  This place is COOL!


One of the best local history Museums I have ever visited.  Every display was a fun window into the past.  It also has the very best collection of American Red Cross artifacts of any single place I have ever visited.


I hope this place is around for a long time, as I want to bring other history lovers to this treasure.


This is one of the best museum of this kind we have visited in 30 years travel cross country – be proud. The movie was so unique.  (From:  a museum curator in New Hampshire)


One of the best!  We will be back


Friendly staff.  Beautiful museum


Spectacular preservation and use





A Bird’s Eye View

By Dan Harshman


It is hard to believe that it has been over a year and a half since I told you about the completion of our Raven Industries’ Hot Air Balloon exhibit. That was the October 2022 newsletter, and you might remember me telling you about the fact that the true “hot air” balloon really did not become practical until the 1960s with the development of a propane fired burner and fuel tanks that finally made hot air ballooning possible. The actual first untethered manned flight of a hot air balloon took place on November 21, 1783 in Paris France. The two men that made that flight had to hand feed wood into a heat source that they shared the gondola with to keep the balloon filled with hot air. The balloon almost caught on fire several times and the flight lasted only 25 minutes. Ten days after this flight the first gas filled balloon was launched on December 1, 1783. Ballooning would be by gas filled balloons from then on, until Raven Industries’ invention in the 1960s.

By the mid-1800s we saw the Golden Age of Ballooning with balloon ascensions being the highlight of county fairs, carnivals, and expositions across the country. Every launching of a balloon was sure to draw a crowd of hundreds and even thousands to witness the event. Balloonists were regarded as adventurous and daring to do anything. In addition to the use as entertainment, balloons were used for scientific observation, aeronautical experiments, and eventually military applications. John Wise, the best known balloonist in the United States at the beginning of the Civil War, approached the Union Army with a plan to create a corp of balloonists who would send men up in tethered balloons to observe the Confederate troops movements. He soon found that he was not the only aeronaut with this idea. John LaMountain and Thaddeus Lowe, two other well known balloonists of that time, had similar ideas. All three of them hoped to be appointed Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army.

In the end it was Lowe’s plan that was chosen, perhaps because President Abraham Lincoln was there when Lowe did a balloon demonstration on the lawn of the White House in early June 1861. A few days later Lowe did a second demonstration on the grounds of the Columbian Armory in Washington D.C. While 500 feet in the air in his balloon Enterprise he was able to communicate with those on the ground using a telegraphed message sent along a wire attached to one of the lines used to tether his balloon. The message was then relayed to the telegraph room in the War Department. This demonstration impressed both President Lincoln and Secretary of war Edwin Staunton. Lowe was soon appointed as Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army, and several balloons were deployed to various battlefields including the first Battle of Bull Run.

Although the balloons were sometimes mistakenly called “Hot Air” balloons, they were gas-filled with hydrogen. Thaddeus Lowe designed and had the Navy Yard construct special inflation wagons. The wagons contained diluted sulfuric acid and iron filings which were combined to produce the lighter than air hydrogen gas. These portable gas generation wagons allowed the Union balloonists to deploy from anywhere in the field.

On the battlefield, troops launched the gas-filled balloons from a spot a mile or so behind the battle lines, a distance beyond the range of Confederate firearms. An observer and a telegraph operator rode in the wicker basket and allowed the balloon to reach a height which provided a view of the Confederate emplacements and troop movements. The telegrapher tapped out a message to the Union commanders on the ground, who were then able to better position their troops.

One such communication was sent to General Ulysses S. Grant from General Benjamin F. Butler on October 13, 1864 during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. It read, “The enemy have reinforced in front of my old line now commanded by Col. Potter who thinks they may attack him, I do not. They have been reconnoitering this evening with a balloon.” General Grant had limited experience with balloons during the Civil War. While he heard about their use in the east, they were not used in the battles he fought in the west. The Balloon Corps had already disbanded by the time he assumed command of the Union Armies. They actually disbanded in August 1863, the year before the message was sent to Grant during the siege of Petersburg. Obviously the use of balloons still continued even without the Balloon Corps.

The Balloon Corps had success during a number of battles, but several field commanders still had doubts about this new method of gathering battlefield intelligence. Lowe and the Balloon Corps lost an important source of support when Lincoln relieved General McClellan of his command.

Even McClellan had his doubts, especially after an incident involving Major General Fitz John Porter. Porter went up in a balloon that broke free of its tether and drifted into Confederate territory where marksman started taking potshots at him. He remained calm and eventually the balloon drifted back to Union lines. Because of the ride over enemy lines, Porter was then able to make sketches of Confederate positions that he had seen from the air.

The incident disturbed McClellan enough that he wrote his wife about what he called a “terrible scare.” He went on to say, “You may rest assured of one thing, you won’t catch me in the confounded balloon nor will I allow any other Generals to go up in it.” With the termination of the Balloon Corps, General Grant received an offer from Eugene Godard, a French balloonist, in February 1865 offering his services as a balloon instructor. A member of Grant’s staff wrote Godard on March 3, 1865 declining the offer. Perhaps having the end of the war in sight influenced this decision.

Although these war balloons lacked the bright colors of our balloons of later years, they probably were still quite a sight to see floating in the air above a battle during the Civil War. While our Raven Industries balloon doesn’t have any war related history, it does have its own interesting life. If you haven’t been in to see the balloon exhibit, please stop by and learn more about its colorful history.



• Handicapped Accessible

• Elevator, Ramps & Chair-lift

• Ample Parking

• Handicapped Accessible   • Elevator, Ramps & Chair-lift   • Ample Parking

Could have spent all day here.  Really superb,  Thank you   (p. Invernes Scotland)


Thank you for saving history


Love your brooms


My second time to the Mill.  So interesting!


We truly believe the museum is historic and worthwhile to pursue


Good job!!!


Thanks for having us.  This place is COOL!


One of the best local history Museums I have ever visited.  Every display was a fun window into the past.  It also has the very best collection of American Red Cross artifacts of any single place I have ever visited.


I hope this place is around for a long time, as I want to bring other history lovers to this treasure.


This is one of the best museum of this kind we have visited in 30 years travel cross country – be proud. The movie was so unique.  (From:  a museum curator in New Hampshire)


One of the best!  We will be back


Friendly staff.  Beautiful museum


Spectacular preservation and use





A Bird’s Eye View

By Dan Harshman


It is hard to believe that it has been over a year and a half since I told you about the completion of our Raven Industries’ Hot Air Balloon exhibit. That was the October 2022 newsletter, and you might remember me telling you about the fact that the true “hot air” balloon really did not become practical until the 1960s with the development of a propane fired burner and fuel tanks that finally made hot air ballooning possible. The actual first untethered manned flight of a hot air balloon took place on November 21, 1783 in Paris France. The two men that made that flight had to hand feed wood into a heat source that they shared the gondola with to keep the balloon filled with hot air. The balloon almost caught on fire several times and the flight lasted only 25 minutes. Ten days after this flight the first gas filled balloon was launched on December 1, 1783. Ballooning would be by gas filled balloons from then on, until Raven Industries’ invention in the 1960s.

By the mid-1800s we saw the Golden Age of Ballooning with balloon ascensions being the highlight of county fairs, carnivals, and expositions across the country. Every launching of a balloon was sure to draw a crowd of hundreds and even thousands to witness the event. Balloonists were regarded as adventurous and daring to do anything. In addition to the use as entertainment, balloons were used for scientific observation, aeronautical experiments, and eventually military applications. John Wise, the best known balloonist in the United States at the beginning of the Civil War, approached the Union Army with a plan to create a corp of balloonists who would send men up in tethered balloons to observe the Confederate troops movements. He soon found that he was not the only aeronaut with this idea. John LaMountain and Thaddeus Lowe, two other well known balloonists of that time, had similar ideas. All three of them hoped to be appointed Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army.

In the end it was Lowe’s plan that was chosen, perhaps because President Abraham Lincoln was there when Lowe did a balloon demonstration on the lawn of the White House in early June 1861. A few days later Lowe did a second demonstration on the grounds of the Columbian Armory in Washington D.C. While 500 feet in the air in his balloon Enterprise he was able to communicate with those on the ground using a telegraphed message sent along a wire attached to one of the lines used to tether his balloon. The message was then relayed to the telegraph room in the War Department. This demonstration impressed both President Lincoln and Secretary of war Edwin Staunton. Lowe was soon appointed as Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army, and several balloons were deployed to various battlefields including the first Battle of Bull Run.

Although the balloons were sometimes mistakenly called “Hot Air” balloons, they were gas-filled with hydrogen. Thaddeus Lowe designed and had the Navy Yard construct special inflation wagons. The wagons contained diluted sulfuric acid and iron filings which were combined to produce the lighter than air hydrogen gas. These portable gas generation wagons allowed the Union balloonists to deploy from anywhere in the field.

On the battlefield, troops launched the gas-filled balloons from a spot a mile or so behind the battle lines, a distance beyond the range of Confederate firearms. An observer and a telegraph operator rode in the wicker basket and allowed the balloon to reach a height which provided a view of the Confederate emplacements and troop movements. The telegrapher tapped out a message to the Union commanders on the ground, who were then able to better position their troops.

One such communication was sent to General Ulysses S. Grant from General Benjamin F. Butler on October 13, 1864 during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. It read, “The enemy have reinforced in front of my old line now commanded by Col. Potter who thinks they may attack him, I do not. They have been reconnoitering this evening with a balloon.” General Grant had limited experience with balloons during the Civil War. While he heard about their use in the east, they were not used in the battles he fought in the west. The Balloon Corps had already disbanded by the time he assumed command of the Union Armies. They actually disbanded in August 1863, the year before the message was sent to Grant during the siege of Petersburg. Obviously the use of balloons still continued even without the Balloon Corps.

The Balloon Corps had success during a number of battles, but several field commanders still had doubts about this new method of gathering battlefield intelligence. Lowe and the Balloon Corps lost an important source of support when Lincoln relieved General McClellan of his command.

Even McClellan had his doubts, especially after an incident involving Major General Fitz John Porter. Porter went up in a balloon that broke free of its tether and drifted into Confederate territory where marksman started taking potshots at him. He remained calm and eventually the balloon drifted back to Union lines. Because of the ride over enemy lines, Porter was then able to make sketches of Confederate positions that he had seen from the air.

The incident disturbed McClellan enough that he wrote his wife about what he called a “terrible scare.” He went on to say, “You may rest assured of one thing, you won’t catch me in the confounded balloon nor will I allow any other Generals to go up in it.” With the termination of the Balloon Corps, General Grant received an offer from Eugene Godard, a French balloonist, in February 1865 offering his services as a balloon instructor. A member of Grant’s staff wrote Godard on March 3, 1865 declining the offer. Perhaps having the end of the war in sight influenced this decision.

Although these war balloons lacked the bright colors of our balloons of later years, they probably were still quite a sight to see floating in the air above a battle during the Civil War. While our Raven Industries balloon doesn’t have any war related history, it does have its own interesting life. If you haven’t been in to see the balloon exhibit, please stop by and learn more about its colorful history.



• Handicapped Accessible   •   Elevator, Ramps & Chair-lift   •   Ample Parking





A Bird’s Eye View

By Dan Harshman


It is hard to believe that it has been over a year and a half since I told you about the completion of our Raven Industries’ Hot Air Balloon exhibit. That was the October 2022 newsletter, and you might remember me telling you about the fact that the true “hot air” balloon really did not become practical until the 1960s with the development of a propane fired burner and fuel tanks that finally made hot air ballooning possible. The actual first untethered manned flight of a hot air balloon took place on November 21, 1783 in Paris France. The two men that made that flight had to hand feed wood into a heat source that they shared the gondola with to keep the balloon filled with hot air. The balloon almost caught on fire several times and the flight lasted only 25 minutes. Ten days after this flight the first gas filled balloon was launched on December 1, 1783. Ballooning would be by gas filled balloons from then on, until Raven Industries’ invention in the 1960s.

By the mid-1800s we saw the Golden Age of Ballooning with balloon ascensions being the highlight of county fairs, carnivals, and expositions across the country. Every launching of a balloon was sure to draw a crowd of hundreds and even thousands to witness the event. Balloonists were regarded as adventurous and daring to do anything. In addition to the use as entertainment, balloons were used for scientific observation, aeronautical experiments, and eventually military applications. John Wise, the best known balloonist in the United States at the beginning of the Civil War, approached the Union Army with a plan to create a corp of balloonists who would send men up in tethered balloons to observe the Confederate troops movements. He soon found that he was not the only aeronaut with this idea. John LaMountain and Thaddeus Lowe, two other well known balloonists of that time, had similar ideas. All three of them hoped to be appointed Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army.

In the end it was Lowe’s plan that was chosen, perhaps because President Abraham Lincoln was there when Lowe did a balloon demonstration on the lawn of the White House in early June 1861. A few days later Lowe did a second demonstration on the grounds of the Columbian Armory in Washington D.C. While 500 feet in the air in his balloon Enterprise he was able to communicate with those on the ground using a telegraphed message sent along a wire attached to one of the lines used to tether his balloon. The message was then relayed to the telegraph room in the War Department. This demonstration impressed both President Lincoln and Secretary of war Edwin Staunton. Lowe was soon appointed as Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army, and several balloons were deployed to various battlefields including the first Battle of Bull Run.

Although the balloons were sometimes mistakenly called “Hot Air” balloons, they were gas-filled with hydrogen. Thaddeus Lowe designed and had the Navy Yard construct special inflation wagons. The wagons contained diluted sulfuric acid and iron filings which were combined to produce the lighter than air hydrogen gas. These portable gas generation wagons allowed the Union balloonists to deploy from anywhere in the field.

On the battlefield, troops launched the gas-filled balloons from a spot a mile or so behind the battle lines, a distance beyond the range of Confederate firearms. An observer and a telegraph operator rode in the wicker basket and allowed the balloon to reach a height which provided a view of the Confederate emplacements and troop movements. The telegrapher tapped out a message to the Union commanders on the ground, who were then able to better position their troops.

One such communication was sent to General Ulysses S. Grant from General Benjamin F. Butler on October 13, 1864 during the siege of Petersburg, Virginia. It read, “The enemy have reinforced in front of my old line now commanded by Col. Potter who thinks they may attack him, I do not. They have been reconnoitering this evening with a balloon.” General Grant had limited experience with balloons during the Civil War. While he heard about their use in the east, they were not used in the battles he fought in the west. The Balloon Corps had already disbanded by the time he assumed command of the Union Armies. They actually disbanded in August 1863, the year before the message was sent to Grant during the siege of Petersburg. Obviously the use of balloons still continued even without the Balloon Corps.

The Balloon Corps had success during a number of battles, but several field commanders still had doubts about this new method of gathering battlefield intelligence. Lowe and the Balloon Corps lost an important source of support when Lincoln relieved General McClellan of his command.

Even McClellan had his doubts, especially after an incident involving Major General Fitz John Porter. Porter went up in a balloon that broke free of its tether and drifted into Confederate territory where marksman started taking potshots at him. He remained calm and eventually the balloon drifted back to Union lines. Because of the ride over enemy lines, Porter was then able to make sketches of Confederate positions that he had seen from the air.

The incident disturbed McClellan enough that he wrote his wife about what he called a “terrible scare.” He went on to say, “You may rest assured of one thing, you won’t catch me in the confounded balloon nor will I allow any other Generals to go up in it.” With the termination of the Balloon Corps, General Grant received an offer from Eugene Godard, a French balloonist, in February 1865 offering his services as a balloon instructor. A member of Grant’s staff wrote Godard on March 3, 1865 declining the offer. Perhaps having the end of the war in sight influenced this decision.

Although these war balloons lacked the bright colors of our balloons of later years, they probably were still quite a sight to see floating in the air above a battle during the Civil War. While our Raven Industries balloon doesn’t have any war related history, it does have its own interesting life. If you haven’t been in to see the balloon exhibit, please stop by and learn more about its colorful history.


...more


Open year-round, but closed Christmas Day: Mon. - Sat., 9:30 am.to 5:30 pm; Sunday, Noon to 5 pm. Bad weather: Call & Check: 540-984-8400

The Shenandoah Valley Cultural Heritage Museum is located along U.S. Route 11 in Edinburg, Virginia.
The museum is open year-round and is owned and operated by the Edinburg Heritage Foundation and the Town of Edinburg.
The mill is also home to Heritage Mill Wines 1848 and the Edinburg Mill Restaurant. The Edinburg Mill is a Virginia Historic Landmark.

Shenandoah Valley Productions LLC

Open year-round, but closed Christmas Day: Mon.
Sat., 9:30 am.to 5:30 pm; Sunday, Noon to 5 pm.
Bad weather: Call & Check: 540-984-8400.

The Shenandoah Valley Cultural Heritage Museum is located along U.S. Route 11 in Edinburg, Virginia. The museum is open year-round and is owned and operated by the Edinburg Heritage Foundation and the Town of Edinburg.

The mill is also home to Heritage Mill Wines 1848 and the Edinburg Mill Restaurant.

The Edinburg Mill is a Virginia Historic Landmark.

Shenandoah Valley Productions LLC

Open year-round, but closed Christmas Day: Mon. - Sat., 9:30 am.to 5:30 pm; Sunday, Noon to 5 pm. Bad weather: Call & Check: 540-984-8400

The Shenandoah Valley Cultural Heritage Museum is located along U.S. Route 11 in Edinburg, Virginia.

The museum is owned and operated by the Edinburg Heritage Foundation and the Town of Edinburg.

The mill is also home to Heritage Mill Wines 1848 and the Edinburg Mill Restaurant.

The Edinburg Mill is a Virginia Historic Landmark.


Shenandoah Valley Productions LLC