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For over 58 years, his little cluster of cottages
has continued to attract visitors to the Shenandoah Valley, looking for a rural escape
from the city or just looking for a quiet place to spend the night. O.K. Early would
probably be very surprised to see his Pure Village Cottages today.
Kermit Early, O.K.'s son and present owner of the
establishment, began working for his father in the family business at age12. "I
did anything that came up then. I helped him build, did odd jobs, whatever needed
to be done." Back in 1936, the motel started with nine rooms and connecting
garages. The rooms were heated with steam, a big advancement in those days. (The
photo above was taken in 1936. Click to seen
an enlargement.)
Kermit began managing the property in 1946, when
he returned from World War II. He attended Bridgewater College in the morning and
worked at Pure Village in the afternoons and evenings. He actually lived in what
is now Room 104, with his wife Jean, during the first years of their marriage. He
simply built a kitchen and living area onto one of the cottages and called it home
until they bought their first house.
O.K., Kermit and his son Kevin share the family hobby
as air pilots. The landing strip behind the motel was used for their plane, and guests
would fly in to do business or visit Harrisonburg long before the airport in Weyers
Cave attracted people. The Village Inn owned one of the first televisions in the area. Kermit remembers the lobby crowded with local men watching their Dumont television, "It was a snowstorm with a World Series game just barely showing through." The motel also built one of the first swimming pools in the area, where local residents still swim for $2. Some of the first air conditioners in the area were found in the dining room, "They hung in the windows. [They were] big things, with water coming down over the coils and air blowing through them from behind. My gut feeling is that my father, knowing what the old cabin concept was, knew that facilities were changing quickly...we have been trying to keep up with public demand [ever since]." The Village Inn has been renovated and reshaped several times, increasing to 37 rooms and one suite (new this year).
Early says he can't really name one thing that has changed more than any other. He has observed that the public demands many more amenities when they travel. The first of his father's motels had oil stoves, no water, a community shower/toilet and was nothing more than a set of primitive cabins. Remote colored televisions, carpeted rooms, whirlpool-tubs, swimming pools, kitchenettes, suites, and decks have all been added as the public began to demand them. "In homes, things have changed, and that brought people to expect more when they travel."
Copyright
2000 The Village Inn, Harrisonburg, Virginia is near Luray Caverns, Staunton Virginia,
Bridgewater Virginia, the George Washington National Forrest and the Skyline Drive
of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit soon and enjoy friendly dining, comfortable accommodations,
spectacular views, and three generations of inkeepers. The Village Inn is very convenient
to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley activities and attractions like golf, horseback riding,
hiking, boating, fishing, hunting, tennis, mountain bike adventure, white water rafting,
exploring, rock climbing, theme parks, nature and history, natural wonders, museums,
dinner theater, and wonderful culinary opportunities. We're right across from the
world famous Rockingham County Fair! We're at your service in Harrisonburg Virginia.
. . in the heart of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. |
