Shenandoah National Park is seeking stories from former visitors and/or their family members who recreated at Lewis Mountain (Lodge, Picnic Grounds, and Campground in Shenandoah) between the years of 1939 and 1970 to develop an online interactive curriculum and interpretive materials for the preservation of the area’s history. Lewis Mountain was historically designed as a segregated recreational area in the Park for African American visitors. Despite being sanctioned as federal lands, Shenandoah National Park deferred to Virginia laws and customs when implementing park policies. After opening in 1939, Lewis Mountain facilities operated on the “separate but equal” principle until 1950 when the Park fully integrated. The story of Lewis Mountain is an important piece of Shenandoah’s history.
If you have any pictures, memories, or stories, please contact NPSLewis_FRD@loc.gov
AMC Potomac Chapter 