From Past
Stokesville Virginia
To Present
In 1971 Hensel (Ike) Riddleberger and his first wife Patricia helped to bring visitors back to the area by opening the Stokesville Park. A mechanical contractor from Harrisonburg, Ike Riddleberger was attracted to the slow-pace and clear air of Stokesville and decided to purchase about a hundred acres of land on which he built Stokesville Park. The park operated as a campground and recreational facility, with a modern swimming pool and picnic areas. The Riddlebergers also renovated and incorporated the Stokesville Passenger Depot into the park, using it as their private residence for a while and later as a railroad museum and antique store.
Stokesville Park
(Cramer Collection)
(Cramer Collection)
Depot after the Riddlebergers completed renovating the building the early 1970s as part of the Stokesville Park.
After the loss of his wife Patricia in 1977, Riddleberger closed the park for a time, re-opening in 1985. A few years later, the astronomy department at James Madison University worked with the park to build an observatory on the property. Completed in 1990, the 23 foot-high building with a diameter of 16 feet served as another draw to the area. Unfortunately, this was not enough to keep the park afloat. The park closed permanently in December of 1994; however, the observatory is still occasionally put to use by astronomy classes at JMU as well as the local astronomy group the Shenandoah Valley Stargazers.
