About VBMHC CrossRoads

THE HERITAGE CENTER PROGRAM

Mennonites and Brethren have lived in the Shenandoah Valley for more than two centuries, but they have truly been the "quiet in the land." Their creative labor as farmers and craftsmen and their unique forms of Christian piety and faith have been largely invisible. One purpose of the Heritage Center is to unveil this historical and spiritual legacy and serve as an interpretive center.

By identifying and interpreting this legacy, Brethren and Mennonites can satisfy the yearning to know more about themselves - who they are and how they came to be. The Heritage Center, which opened to the public on June 18, 2006, honors forebears and their tradition of living according to the convictions of their faith, thus encouraging members in their own faith journeys.

Brethren and Mennonites represent a significant religious minority in the Shenandoah Valley. Their emphasis on pacifism, voluntary service, disaster relief work, and international understanding are major themes in the Center, highlighting the contemporary work of the denominations.

The Center interprets these values as expression of faith. The walk through the facility helps the visitor ponder these values as an option for one's life and invites them to the Christian faith.

The Role of CrossRoads

CrossRoads is an interpretative center which brings to life the history of the Brethren and Mennonites. It fills a unique niche in the Shenandoah Valley's spiritual and cultural life. CrossRoads is the first Brethren interpretive center in the United States, and the first religious interpretive center in the Shenandoah Valley.

You may preview the Programmatic Site Document (click for pdf format - Acrobat Reader necessary for download) for more information about VBMHC.

The Vision: Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley created CrossRoads to help gather and preserve a legacy of faith and life and pass it on from one generation to the next one.

Our Mission: To share the story of Jesus Christ as it has been reflected in the lives of the Mennonites and Brethren in the Shenandoah Valley.

Our theme: CrossRoads – where journeys of faith and conscience meet.

At CrossRoads, visitors can:

Experience the simple Mennonite and Brethren way of living
Touch artifacts that represent earlier days
Attend dramas, films, and music events
Drive through scenic and historic areas nearby
Participate in research, lectures, and historical field events

The program: The staff and volunteers seek to carry out this mission:

- By creating an interpretative center where visitors can learn about our values and denominational histories through stories, pictures, videos, books, and artifacts.

- By holding events at the center to illustrate and experience core values that guide Brethren and Mennonite responses to cultural and historical events.

- By sponsoring lectures, field trips, and tours to places where Mennonites and Brethren have lived out their faith values.

The Heritage Center Facilities

The Heritage Center is situated on Garbers Church Road in Harrisonburg, with a hilltop site providing vistas spanning the Valley. The 14-acre campus has been designed as a farmstead with a central garden. At present, 1854 Burkholder-Myers house, and the Whitmer School and Cove Mennonite Church, a one-room school house and a meetinghouse have been moved to the site.

The Burkholder-Myers House. In 1854 Mennonite Bishop Martin Burkholder built this house, the first building to open at the center. A Myers family, descended from early Brethren settlers, owned the house in recent years and donated it to CrossRoads. It was moved up the hill to the CrossRoads site in 2002 to make room for the new Harrisonburg High School.

The Whitmer School. This one-room structure was built about 1904 above Mathias, WVA, by Mennonite and Brethren folks who had settled the area. When the school closed about 1940, it continued to serve as a meetinghouse for Sunday school and church, known later as Cove Mennonite Church. It was sawn in thirds and reassembled at the CrossRoads site in late 2004 to illustrate early education and mission work in the mountains. (see photos of the reconstruction)

The Welcome Center. This three-bedroom house was purchased and remodeled in 2005 to serve as a gateway and orientation place for visitors to the Center.

During July and August, visitors can experience the serenity of Sunday evenings in a peaceful woodland setting with a mediation and inspirational music. At the top of the hill at CrossRoads, follow the 100-foot trail down the gently sloping hillside to the Amphitheater. Bring a chair to sit on. Services begin at 7:00 p.m. and end at 7:45 p.m.

Plans for the site include a Welcome Center, a 1829 Mennonite log house, summer kitchen, and vintage Rockingham County barn.

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A work in progress. The CrossRoads site is very much a work in progress. “Farmstead” is often used to describe the 14-acre site, where visitors will experience life as it was lived by Brethren and Mennonites in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1829 log house and an 1800s barn (still to be erected), and the 1854 farmhouse will depict 19th century life. A 20th century set of buildings, such as the Whitmer School, a still to be erected church and an outdoor amphitheater help to tell the stories of 20th century life.

The site will also feature a Visitor Center with a gift shop offering books, art, crafts, and special momentos. log house link to larger image