S is for Scotland

S is for Scotland (click here for map.) A very scenic 2 hour drive landed me in the town located on the southernmost end of the State. I was anxious to travel to an area of Maryland I had never been before, and to visit a town filled with a plethora of history dating back to the American Civil War.

Scotland is an unincorporated town located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in St. Mary’s county. The town has 368 residents, a land area of 5.95 square miles, and a water area of 8 square miles. 

I was unable to determine when the town was actually founded – only when Point Lookout (now a State park) was discovered. 

Point Lookout State Park -
Chesapeake Bay side

According to the Park’s history, Captain John Smith explored the Point in 1612. In 1632, it was included in King Charles I's grant to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Calvert's younger son, Leonard, (Maryland's first governor) claimed the Point for his personal manor in 1634. 

You are probably wondering how Scotland got its name. I could not find anything definitive in print, but I think I got close. According to Scotland’s Mark on America:

In Maryland there seems to have been a colony of Scots [in] 1670 under Colonel Ninian Beall, settled between the Potomac and the Patuxent, and gradually increased by successive additions. Through his influence a church was established at Patuxent in 1704, the members of which included several prominent Fifeshire families. Many other small Scottish colonies were settled on the eastern shore of Maryland and Virginia, particularly in Accomac, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. To minister to them the Rev. Francis Makemie and the Rev. William Traill were sent out by the Presbytery of Laggan in Ulster. Upper Marlborough, Maryland, was founded by a company of Scottish immigrants and [was] ministered to by the Rev. Nathaniel Taylor, also from Scotland. Two shiploads of Scottish Jacobites taken at Preston in 1716 were sent over in the ships Friendship and Good Speed to Maryland to be sold as servants. 

Just reading how Scotland may have gotten its name raised my interest in this town to a new level.

Former Post Office

My historic journey began a few miles after I crossed into town. Scotland’s former Post Office (now a residence) was the first thing I saw. Shortly thereafter, I passed Buzzy’s Country Store where I planned on returning for lunch. I decided not to stop as Point Lookout State Park was the first thing on my agenda.

Point Lookout State Park occupies 1,046 acres on a narrow peninsula at the southern tip of St. Mary’s County. The Chesapeake Bay is on one side of this peninsula; the Potomac River is on the other, and these great bodies of water converge at the very tip of the Park. While there are many recreational aspects of this Park, I want to spend more time discussing the historical significance of this area. This Park is probably best known as the location of a Union hospital and infamous Union prison camp, which housed Confederate prisoners during the American Civil War.

Point Lookout One-Time Seaside Resort
(marker photo)

Prior to the war, Point Lookout accommodated a fashionable resort hotel and beach. Additionally, there were over a hundred cottages where the elite spent their leisure time. Once the war broke out, the area’s backdrop drastically changed. The owner sold the property to the government to be used as a military hospital. In 1862, the Hammond General Hospital was built patterned like the spokes of a wheel, and soon received its first Union Army patients. In 1863, authorities ordered a small number of Confederate prisoners to be confined on the hospital grounds. Soon after the hospital was built, it was decided the Point Lookout area was large enough to also accommodate a camp for Confederate prisoners. The camp was located a short distance away.

After the Battle of Gettysburg, construction began on a 30-acre camp capable of holding 10,000 prisoners of war. Officially, the place was known as Camp Hoffman. No barracks were ever built and the prisoners had to sleep in tents – the camp was only 5 feet above sea level! In September 1863, the prisoners totaled 4,000. Three months later, over 9,000 Confederates were imprisoned. As the war progressed, the camp became over-crowded with more than 20,000 prisoners. Filth prevailed, wells became contaminated, and prisoners literally froze to death in tents. The low, marshy land of the area bred disease among the prisoners and they soon started to die from smallpox, dysentery, and scurvy – 3,384 prisoners perished. By the time the American Civil War ended, over 52,000 prisoners had passed through its gates! It was the largest prison camp of the war.

Have you noticed I keep saying prisoners…and not soldiers? The camp’s prisoners not only included soldiers, but civilian men, women, and children. It is also interesting to note the youngest prisoner at Point Lookout was Baby Perkins. He was born there. His mother, Jane Perkins, was captured at the Battle of Spotsylvania with her artillery unit. If you access the attached link (http://www.plpow.com/Poems&Songs.htm), you will find a list of poems and songs written about Point Lookout. The first song listed is about Baby Perkins, “Cry, Little Artillery Man.”

The “Prison Pen” was the area where the prisoners were held. A small section of this area has been reconstructed where the original structure once stood. It was a short walk from the parking lot to get there. I wandered around for a bit and then stopped, took a step back, and looked out over the “Prison Pen” – I found the entire experience to be extremely sobering. I honestly did not expect this situation to be so disturbing for me. It was really difficult to fathom this war could have even happened – “Brother against Brother.” And what was going on at this prison camp? Americans were capturing fellow Americans and exposing them to deplorable conditions on American soil. 

Prison Pen

It is one thing when you read about things like this in a history book, but standing on the actual place where events like this happened is an entirely different story.

Outside Fort Lincoln

Because the Confederate Army tried several times to take the camp and free the prisoners, the Union troops built three fortifications near the “Prison Pen” to stop any future plans of freeing the prisoners.  Fort Lincoln is the only one remaining (I was unable to find the names of the other two.)

In 1978, the organization “Friends of Point Lookout” was formed. This group promotes the preservation of and public education about historical sites at Point Lookout State Park. 

Fort Lincoln (L to R) -
Officer's quarters, Enlisted barracks,
guard house

 Over the years, they performed an excellent restoration of four of the Fort’s buildings - two officer’s quarters, an enlisted barracks, and a guard house.

  

How do I transition from this somber discussion to something a bit more light-hearted? This should do it….as I was walking/running the ¼ mile wooded trail from my car to Fort Lincoln and the “Prison Pen”, little “flesh eating” deer flies were starting to land on me. They never let up! Attempting to walk/run and then stopping to take pictures with a steady hand was next to impossible. I was able to stay at the two sites for about 45 minutes before the flies became unbearable. I couldn’t take it anymore and mega-hurried back to the parking lot. When I finally reached my car (with a few of the flies still with me), I came to a screeching halt and just stared. I HAD LEFT MY SUNROOF OPEN!! Those little buggers were all over the inside of my car just WAITING for me! Needless to say, it took about ½ hour to clear my car of them – not fun! With my car finally “fly-free,” I began my drive over to where Hammond General Hospital once stood.

On the way to the hospital’s location, I came across the Contraband Camp marker that was on my “To See” list. To better explain what this camp was, this is what was on the marker’s inscription:During the Civil War, thousands of enslaved African-Americans escaped from captivity in the South to liberty in the North. The grounds before you once sheltered these freedom-seekers, known at that time as “Contraband”. Conditions in the “Contraband Camp” were appalling. Men, women and children lived half underground in dark, damp, smoky dens. Nurse Sophronia Bucklin’s first-hand accounts of the “Contraband Camp” described men burrowing like “beasts of the field in half-subterranean dens.” Nurse Sophronia Bucklin described the scene: “A hole from three to four feet deep was dug by them in the black soil, and roofed over with boards, on which turf was closely packed. An opening which admitted them on their hands and feet, and one for the escape of smoke…were the only vents for the impure air, and the only openings for light.”



Unfortunately, contrabands were not considered citizens. Despite the monumental step towards freedom it represented for the many who sought contraband status, it wasn’t until late 1865 when the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted allowing contrabands to become eligible for full emancipation. 
 
As mentioned earlier, Hammond General Hospital (a war hospital)

Hammond General Hospital
(lower left) (marker photo)

was constructed on the Point Lookout peninsula. It consisted of 20 buildings arranged like the spokes of a wheel. Fifteen of the buildings were used as wards and the hospital could handle 1,400 patients. The hospital was torn down in 1865 when the American Civil War ended.  However, there is a marker denoting the general location of the hospital.  

When I reached the area where the hospital once was, 

Hospital Marker

I could not even imagine a complex of that magnitude existing there. I noticed the peninsula was showing a lot more land in the archived records than can be seen today. I suspected erosion, but how much? It is written in Maryland records that from 1849 to 1938 

Hospital Marker

the Chesapeake Bay shoreline receded as much as 950 feet! Fortunately, a riprap revetment was installed in 1973 halting the erosion. The Potomac River shoreline has basically retained its same shape with only 50 feet of variation.


A few hundred yards away from where the hospital once stood was the Point Lookout Lighthouse. As I turned to walk over to the lighthouse, something caught my eye. A monarch butterfly! 

Monarch Butterfly

And not just one…..they were everywhere! I used to see them all the time when I was younger, and then the sightings began to decline. Most recently, I heard they were in danger of becoming “quasi-extinct.” This means that the monarch butterfly would see its numbers dwindle so low that it may not be able to rebound. Researchers say there is an 11 to 57 percent chance this could happen to the species over the next 20 years. I had not seen monarch butterflies in years, and was pretty excited they would be hanging out with me for a little while today.

The Point Lookout Lighthouse is situated on the point of land where the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River merge. I wasn’t able to walk out to the actual spot where this occurs because there was a massive chain link fence surrounding the lighthouse. The original lighthouse was commissioned in 1830, but the present building has been in existence since 1883. The building did not have the typical look of a lighthouse, either – it looked more like a very large, weather-worn farmhouse with a light on the roof. It was equally impressive, however. 

The area the lighthouse is built upon has had strategic importance in the formative years of this nation.  This acreage was originally used during the Revolutionary War to serve as a lookout point for American soldiers.

Point where Chesapeake Bay
and Potomac River merge
(photo taken through chain link fence)

However, it was during the American Civil War the site became notorious for massive suffering and tragedy. After the Battle of Gettysburg, the scenic lighthouse began to overlook misery and suffering right on its very banks as over 9,000 wounded soldiers, from both the North and South, poured into the adjacent Hammond Hospital.

The remains of the prisoners who died at the nearby “Prison Pen” were interred near the lighthouse grounds. Threatened by erosion, some of the graves have been relocated to a spot just north of Point Lookout State Park. Others were washed out to sea further contributing to the notion of lost souls wandering along the shore. Consequently, the trauma and death associated with the prison camp may be responsible for the large number of strange, paranormal events that have been reported by visitors to the lighthouse. It is easy to understand why the Point Lookout Lighthouse has been dubbed “The Most Haunted Lighthouse in America”!

Point Lookout Lighthouse is the only light station on the Chesapeake that has been the subject of paranormal psychologists. These investigators have been able to record twenty-four distinct voices engaged in speaking and singing in various parts of the lighthouse.

Portion of Point Lookout
Lighthouse Marker

One of the recorded voices remarked, “fire - if they get too close to you,” which is thought to be the words of a Union guard in the prison camp. A happier ghost is believed to be that of former keeper Ann Davis (deceased 1847), who said the words “my home.” The figure of Ann Davis has also reportedly been seen standing at the head of the lighthouse’s stairs wearing a blue skirt and a white blouse. It has also been reported that a mysterious woman searching for the graves of her lost children was seen walking along the grounds. It is no small wonder that that spirits have chosen to remain behind forever on the grounds of the lighthouse as there was so much suffering in days gone by. 

Did I see a ghost during my visit? No. However, if I had, I hope it would have been the ghost of Ann Davis as it seems she is the happiest of all the reported ghosts. I’m not going to lie…….I was pretty relieved to be visiting this place during the daytime! 

Smokehouse

Just as I was about to leave the area, I saw (no, not a ghost) a small white building not far from the lighthouse. I walked over to the building hoping to get a peek at the interior, but something inside had fallen in front of the window so my view was blocked. However, my research told me that some of the framing elements inside of the building are blackened. Additionally, the steeply pitched roof, exposed rafters (to hang meat on), and airtight and windowless construction all indicate that this building was once used as a smokehouse.

I was getting pretty hungry, so I decided to head over to Buzzy’s Country Store for lunch. As I was leaving the area, I saw (nope… still no ghost) a fisherman who had been fishing on the Chesapeake Bay side of the Point, walk across the narrow street to the Potomac River side and cast his line. I smiled at the concept.

I had a few minutes to go before I would finally exit the Park. A sign pointed to a fishing pier, so I took a quick detour to investigate. The over 700 foot long pier was very active with fishermen, and many were tending to more than one line. Nobody was tackling “the big one,” and most were just talking to each other and watching their lines. 

Fishing from the pier

I found just being out there extremely relaxing. So, I walked the length of the pier, got back in the car, and started out for Buzzy’s again.



Shortly after getting back on the road, I saw (a ghost? nope) a sign for a boat launch. Putting hunger aside, I decided to take another detour. I found the boat launch to be well-constructed and well-maintained. Situated on the Potomac River side of the Point, the launch is operated by the Maryland Park Service, has 90 parking spaces, and 4 ramps. There is also a very nice fish cleaning station

Fish cleaning station

not far from the ramps. The Park’s camp store (around the corner from the launch), can assist you if you are in need of supplies or even a canoe.

I sat in the parking lot for a few minutes just watching a couple of fishing boats make their way to the launch. I should have stayed to check out their “haul,” but in checking the time I realized I still had a 2 hour drive back home and…I had 

Boat launch

not eaten lunch yet! Onward to Buzzy’s! 

Buzzy’s Country Store is a combination general merchandise store, post office, and informal 3:00 p.m. meeting place for Scotland’s rural residents – the store has been in place for over 100 years. When I walked into the store, I was immediately greeted by the smiling owner who was standing behind the counter.

I quickly scanned the store
and found the only things available for eating were various types of chips and some small bags of Cracker Jack. There were plenty of beverages, though - everything from water and soft drinks in the cooler to a wall of alcohol behind the counter. I settled on Cracker Jack and some water. 

As I was eating, I took time to look around this historic gem and found it to be quite charming. There was a “days gone by” feel to it – old wooden floors, a few older gentlemen reminiscing about this and that, an antique 50’s soda cooler by the counter, and other nostalgic items sprinkled here and there. I engaged in conversation with a couple of the other customers for a while and then decided I really needed to get back on the road for home. Since it was nearing 3:00 p.m., I debated on staying to wait for the local residents to congregate for their informal meeting – it probably would have been a lot of fun. 

However, I thought it would just be better that I start my drive home. As I was leaving, the owner gave me his business card. As a descriptor of the store, one of the lines read, “The way things used to be.” I could not have agreed more!

Scotland is not only a beautiful little town; it is host to a State Park that combines a very rich history with many recreational options. I never experienced a ghost sighting, but what I “did” experience will stay with me forever – it is a visit to a town I will never forget.

R is for Rohrersville

R is for Rohrersville (click here for map).  The 1 ½ hours
spent driving to this little town could not have been more enjoyable.  The scenery was intoxicating, and was ten times more impressive than I ever imagined.  Before I even arrived in Rohrersville, I knew I was being set-up for a day of enjoyment and extreme relaxation. 

Rohrersville is a census designated place located in the southern part of Pleasant Valley, a small valley in Washington County.  According to Wikipedia: 

 

The first settlers to arrive in the vicinity of Rohrersville began to survey land tracts in the 1730s. "Park Hall," a tract of 1,550 acres, encompassing the present village of Rohrersville, was patented in 1732 by William Parks and resurveyed in 1766 to Alexander Grimm.  Also in 1766, Frederick Rohrer, a French immigrant, settled near the present village.  His sons Daniel and Samuel established a grist mill which led to the formation of the village in the 1810s and 20s. The name Rohrersville first appears in 1836.

 

The town has 175 residents and a total land area of .8 square miles.  Rohrersville is part of Crampton’s Gap or Crampton Gap, which is a wind gap on South Mountain.   South Mountain is a northern extension of the Blue Ridge Mountain range in Maryland and Pennsylvania. 

Rohrersville countryside

You may be wondering if it was unusually windy in Rohrersville because the town is part of a wind gap.  Initially, I thought it would be windy until I found out a wind gap is a valley through which a waterway once flowed, but is now dry.  The type of wind I was initially thinking of was called a gap wind, which I did not experience at all.  Those are winds that blow through a gap between mountains – remember, I was in a valley at the base of a mountain.  And that, my good readers, is your quick atmospheric science lesson for the day!   

Back to my journey.  I decided I should begin traveling earlier than originally planned because of the day’s forecast –mainly the heat (heat index of 108 degrees.)  So, before doing anything else (to include looking for the “Welcome to Rohrersville” sign) and to beat the heat, I made a beeline for Caprikorn Farms – a goat farm.  This farm houses award winning, free-range Saanen dairy goats.  Because of their natural diet, these goats produce milk of exceptional flavor, which is perfect for cheese.  Their raw goat milk Cheddar Cheese (plain and flavored) is literally hand made in small batches in the tradition of the best artisanal farmstead cheeses.  Caprikorn Farms is Maryland’s first “On Farm Home Licensed Goat Cheese Processor.” 

Although I would be more apt to talk to a representative at one of the local festivals or farmer’s markets, I was hoping to actually tour the facility.  I called a few times and left messages about a possible tour, but no one returned my calls.  I then thought I would simply venture over to the farm once I got to town and see if I could find someone there. Earlier, I mentioned I was concerned about the heat.  I was afraid as the day wore on, it would get hotter, and I would not be able to see the goats if I was unable to get a tour (the goats may be in a barn cooling off.)

Goat Divas

My rational paid off.  When I got to the small farm nobody was around and nobody answered the phone when I called from the car.  However, the goats were there!  Some were huddled around a bale of hay eating in a corralled yard not far from the road.  Others were eating from containers attached to the fence.   I gingerly walked up to them hoping they would not run into the barn.  Nope......they actually ran towards me!  They were absolutely beautiful.  A couple of them posed nicely for me, too.  I only stayed a few minutes longer and then decided to leave – what a treat it was to see these prize winning animals!



One of the many Rohrersville roads

As I started driving down the road, my focus moved from the residents of Caprikorn Farms to my general surroundings.  The scenery was stunning!!  The seemingly endless acres of rolling manicured green fields, the mountains in the background packed with trees in full bloom, and the blue sky was, without a doubt, sensory overload.  As I kept driving, I quickly discovered this type of view was not going to change too much, so instead of stopping to embrace the moment I began my search for the next thing on my “To See” list.  

Part of Caprikorn Farms

Now, I was actually on the hunt for the “Welcome to Rohrersville” sign.  Finding the sign is usually the first thing I do when I visit a town just because I do not want to forget to take its picture.  My quick roadside scan on the way to Caprikorn Farms did not produce the sign, so I needed to keep looking.  Perhaps it is located in the town proper – I will head there.  Finding the welcome sign proves to be the most challenging thing I do when I visit these small towns - sometimes they exist, sometimes they don’t.   However, in looking for them, I occasionally stumble on something that I had not even planned on seeing.  Today was one of such instance.  Now, you know I am not going to tell you what it was, don’t you?  Yes, I am going to keep you in suspense for just a little while longer.

Rohrersville Main Street

When I got to town, I traveled to both ends of Main Street and could not find the sign.  I drove up and down Main Street (a lot), drove up and down the few side streets Rohersville had (a lot), and drove back up and down Main Street again, (a lot) – where on earth was that sign?  In one of my many travels up and down Main Street, I found the Post Office and decided to take a picture of the sign on the front of the building.  This would replace the non-existent “Welcome to Rohrersville” sign, which I would normally use to introduce the town. 

Rohrersville Post Office

I also knew full well that the day was still young and a 108 degree heat index was not going to cut my hunt short.  I “may” still find it!  The residents were just going to have to cope with the out-of-towner driving up and down all of their streets (probably for the rest of the day!) 

In my quest to find the sign, I ended up on one of the side streets that houses the entrance to the Rohrersville Community Park,
which is sponsored by the Rohrersville Ruritan Club.  The definition of a Ruritan is:   

A civic organization whose objective is to bring a closer social union between the farmers and the business and professional men and women in a community in order to make it a better place in which to live.  It is patterned after the service organizations of the cities, but changed to meet the needs of rural people in rural communities.

 
This Club is very active in the town.  Activities include:  carnivals, festivals, caroling during the holiday season, bingo, and the like.  Unfortunately, the link provided above is via Facebook.  The Club must have decided not to post current events via their website as the links found are several years old.

Park's playground

The Community Park in Rohrersville is just one of the many things the Club can take credit for in order to improve the town.   According to the history of the Club, in 1958, the Club voted to buy an 8 1/2 acre field for $3,000, which has been developed into the Rohrersville Community Park.  The park was dedicated on September 13, 1959.  Over the years, three pavilions have been built, a Well was drilled, bathrooms were installed, a bandstand was built, playground equipment was purchased, ball fields were graded, and a soccer field was added. 

Park's soccer fields and pavilions (my view from school)

Plans are being completed for additional grading to add a second soccer field and parking areas.  These fields are used as the practice and homefields for several teams of the Boonsboro Soccer League, which have been using the park field since 1990.  The park is open to the public for reunions, concerts, family outings, and relaxation on a daily basis.

 

Former Rohrersville School

From atop a hill overlooking the park was what I had accidently stumbled upon – the former Rohrersville School.  It was built in 1919, and unfortunately closed in 1978.  Now, the school is being used as the main headquarters of the Ruritan Club.  Club meetings, suppers, and other activities are held there.  The building is also used by other groups for social activities and has been the Rohrersville Election Precinct.  It is wonderful the town kept the building intact and is currently using it as a multi-purpose building.  Not only is it a magnificent building, the view from the grounds is beyond spectacular.  Recess was always a favorite subject of mine growing up, but recess at this school?  It definitely would have been moved to a higher level of appreciation!

I still had not found the sign.  So, I headed back into town to check out a few more sights I had on my “To See” list - one of which was “The Rohrersville Cornet Band of Washington County.”  Unfortunately, I was not able see the band performing or even enter their music hall as there was not anyone in the building.  However, the band’s schedule was impressive, to say the least.  It appears this group of musicians are extremely active in the State of Maryland, and probably very proud to be members of the oldest continually-performing community band in the State. 

 

Bethel United Methodist Church

A few buildings away from the music hall was the Bethel United Methodist Church, which is the oldest house of worship standing in Rohrersville.  However, from 1871-1963 this church was formerly known as the Bethel United Brethren Church.  Founded in 1800, it was simply a log structure open to the use of several congregations, and was located on the site of the present town cemetery.  The church was rebuilt in 1842 and finally replaced in 1871.  It then became one of the three churches in Rohrersville, all dating back to the 1870s and 1880s, and all having German denominations.  I found that fact amazing – three churches for 175 people!  The cemetery mentioned earlier is the peaceful Pleasant View Cemetery, and is located directly behind the church as we know it today.

Barkman's Mill cooper's building

Bear's Nursery

Looking at the time, I decided to head over to Big Cork Vineyards for lunch. However, I wanted to take another drive along the winding road leading out of town.  The houses and remaining structures from the past were just so interesting.  One of the structures left standing along the side of the road had a faded sign painted on its wall which read, “Bear’s Nursery.”  This was a nursery operated out of the cooper’s building on the property of the Barkman Mill, which is no longer standing.  The nursery was in operation from 1959 to 1979. 

Sitting on wall = ouch!

Another interesting feature about the town of Rohrersville, was the stone retaining walls positioned around several residences along with the Rohrersville School.  The walls are characteristic of the Village of Rohrersville, but they were unusual in that they have vertical quartz-like, pointy rocks lining the very top of the wall.  These vertical rocks are not close together or rounded as in a typical dry stone wall.  This unusual feature bothered me to no end.  I cannot begin to tell you how many hours I spent searching the Internet trying to find out why these walls looked so different.  I finally arrived at the conclusion that the pointy rocks were there to prevent others from sitting on the wall - so simple and probably very effective.  I really need to stop over thinking these things!!!     
 

Grapes

Just minutes from one of these “no longer confusing walls” was Big Cork Vineyards.  As I entered the driveway, I was immediately awestruck just looking at the size of the vineyard.  Rows and rows of grape vines as far as the eye could see!!!  The winding road took me to a large, white building on a hill overlooking the entire vineyard with the mountain range in the background.  This was the tasting room.  Impressive!  This ultra-contemporary room looked like something you would find in Manhattan.  

Big Cork Tasting Room

The following is a description of this room from their website:

Walking into our state-of-the-art, 10,000-square-foot tasting room is like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure experience. Up the winding drive, and through the glass entryway, you’ll be transported to another world.  With cloud-like ceilings, sleek interior design, 

View from Big Cork patio

and an ample 25-foot tasting bar (accessible on all sides), you will enjoy all the winery has to offer in BIG style!

Weather too nice to be inside? No problem. You can drink our wine (and eat our food) anywhere… inside, outside on our patios or even from the comfort of your own picnic blanket on our lawn. Our wraparound patios are heated for year-round use, and we have a 70” flat-screen TV outside on our west patio—so you don’t have to miss out on those Sunday football games. Our entire west patio is also cigar friendly.

Jeff

I was greeted by Jeff who was the facility’s extremely personable bartender.  He asked me if I was there for the wine tasting.  But, of course!  I asked him if lunch was being served and he told me they did not have a lunch menu, as such.  There was a Market located in the next room with various cheeses, spreads, crackers, nuts, and some fruits for sale.  Not exactly what I expected, but I was alright with that.


Barrels/vats of wine

I was Jeff’s only customer.  As he poured each of the six different wines for me – SMALL GLASSES! - he provided some history about the vineyard in addition to some interesting facts about each wine I was drinking.  The conversation could not have been more enjoyable.  I thanked him for all of the information he provided and walked around the corner to the Market where I purchased my lunch – crackers and a red pepper feta spread.  Even though it was sweltering outside, I sat on the patio under an awning and took in the gorgeous scenery.  I had the entire place to myself! 

My Lunch

I had one more place to visit – The Treehouse Camp.  This is DEFINITELY on my list of things to revisit in the near future.  Located on the South Mountain, this 20 acre wooded campground, which backs up to the Appalachian Trail, is the perfect retreat for those looking for hiking, camping, fishing, tubing, or simply a place to “get away from it all.”  The current owner’s mother is the individual who literally dreamt up this successful business.  If you have the time, please read this interview with the new owner of the campground. 
The camp opened in 1971 with just three tree houses.  The term “Tree House” is a bit of a misnomer as the house is not actually sitting up in a tree.....it sits on stilts in the woods.  Two of the original tree houses remain (the Blackbird and the Eagle) and each has an actual tree running through the center of the structure!  


Tree House - "The Blackbird"

As of today, there are not only tree houses, but cottages and tent sites.  RVs and campers/trailers are not accommodated.  The main difference between a tree house and a cottage is the windows.  Both structures are elevated, but the tree houses only have screens for windows, whereas, the cottages are enclosed, insulated, and have working windows.  Only the cottages are open year around.  The older cottages have been recently remodeled and have double or single beds with mattresses.  Some of the newer cottages have queen or king sized mattresses.  All of the cottages offer an indoor table and chairs / benches and a wood stove for heating and cooking in the winter.  None of the cottages have any electricity or running water, which means you are pretty much “roughing” it.  Each site has an outdoor fire circle, grill and picnic table.  

Cottage

After stopping at the campground’s office, briefly talking with the owner, and looking at the campground rules, I took a drive through the campground. 

Tree House

I found each tree house/cottage far enough apart from its neighbor so the occupants would have plenty of privacy, peace, and quiet.  It was definitely a heavily wooded area, which I also found appealing.  The main road was not littered with trash, and there were many portable restrooms set-up throughout the area.  Undeniably, this is one of Rohrersville’s hidden gems!                                        
Sadly, I needed to get back on the road.  As I drove out of town, I reflected on the day and realized the only thing that could have made it more perfect was if I had found that sign!  I would have to say, if you are looking for a peaceful destination to escape the summertime hustle, definitely take a trip to Rohrersville.  This town is in the category of “a must visit.”