7 Jul - Walton's Mountain Museum and House at Schuyler VA

 

Some of you may remember the TV show "The Waltons" which ran on CBS from 1972-1981. That show evolved originally from a book written by Earl Hamner Jr. called Spencer's Mountain.  The book describes Earl Hamner Jr's hometown of Schuyler ("sky-ler") VA where he grew up and his family.  The  book evolved into a movie called "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story" and then he was approached by CBS about turning it into a series called "The Waltons".  So Earl Hamner Jr. was the character John-Boy.  

Schuyler VA is a very rural VA town situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Hamner's house he grew up in was the basis of the Walton's house and it was duplicated in Hollywood for the show. The Hamner house still stands today in Schuyler. Hamner's brothers, sisters, and grandparents were the basis for those characters in the show. There is a Walton's Museum located in Schuyler in an old school house full of pictures and artifacts. There is also a separate gift shop building, a bed and breakfast in a replica house, and a small convenience store located where the general store in the Walton's was. Earl Hamner Sr was of course the basis for John-Boy's father "John" in the show. Many in Schuyler. back in the day, worked in the local soapstone quarry and the quarry and stone processing buildings are still there but silent now.

The quarry and soapstone processing buildings

Items made from soapstone

So this morning we loaded up the dog and drove west from Richmond about 110 miles to Walton's Mountain - Schuyler VA!  It was really a nice drive as we transitioned into the mountains.  Everything is lush green right now and we can only imagine what it would have looked like in the fall as the trees turn colors.   

We wound our way through the back country a bit and arrived at Schuyler.  We passed the gift shop and the Hamner house before pulling into the museum parking lot.  Doreen had called ahead and spoke with a lady that said it would be OK to bring Liberty into the museum in her stroller, so that worked out well.  Liberty was born with a bad left knee, in fact the joint is really bad, so she cannot walk very far at a time.  The stroller allows us to go on long walks with her otherwise we would have to carry her or leave her home.  

Doreen and Liberty with her stroller heading into the museum

The museum is the old Schuyler school house.

What the school looked like when it was a high school 1924-1931 before it burned down

As we walked into the museum we entered what used to be the gymnasium and were greeting by the lady Doreen had conversed with about Liberty.  The museum rooms were the classrooms and some even still had the blackboards, projector screens, etc in them.  

We started in a classroom in the back of the building and watched a 20 minute movie where Earl Hamner Jr was interviewed and each cast member was introduced.  They explained a lot about the show and how it was made.  

Then we move back towards the entrance and entered a room that was a replica of John-Boy's bedroom. The hallway to the bedroom was lined with photo's from the show, many of them!

The cast of the TV show

John-Boy's bedroom.  During the show he would smoke his pipe at his desk and write his books documenting his experiences.

There was a gift shop that was also filled with locally made items and antiques from the Great Depression era when the show was based.  

The post office boxes

Doreen with Corabeth Walton Godsey, who was John Boy's cousin and her husband Ike.  They were the storekeepers on the show.  My recollection is that Corabeth was pretty abrasive!

The gift shop was also full of Walton's paraphernalia, such as dolls, trading cards, comic books, toys, etc.   

Another classroom was set up to replicate the Walton's living room.  Many of the items came from the TV set from what we were told.  

Next was the kitchen,  The detail was incredible.  It would be fun to go back and watch a few shows and look closer at the sets.  Also in the kitchen was a device called a "Moviola Crab Dolly" and a 65mm motion picture camera.  These were actually used on the set to film "The Waltons".

Beautiful stove in the kitchen

The 65mm wide screen motion picture camera cost $125,000 in 1963

The Moviola Crab Dolly.  Moves the camera smoothly in all directions.  Cost about $9500 in 1963  

As we moved from room to room there were literally hundreds of pictures from The Waltons show.  I remember the show but did not watch it regularly but Doreen did.  The pictures brought back a lot of memories.  A few more:

 The movie set mock-up of the front of the house:

There were a pair of sisters in the show called The Baldwins and they had a propensity of brewing up some moonshine whiskey called "The Recipe".  So the Baldwin's still, or more likely one similar to it,  was on display!

 Again, tons more pictures and artifacts on display here.  Virtually every wall was covered, but we will skip ahead to one of the final rooms which is a tribute to our Armed Forces.  Keep in mind the show was based during the Great Depression and World War II, so both in real life and in the show, Earl Hamner Jr and his brothers enlisted in the military.  Mary Ellen's husband was killed in Pearl Harbor.  So it is only fitting they have a room dedicated to our Armed Forces.  

Wide variety of various vintages of military uniforms, helmets, weapons, etc

A field switchboard.  Used to interconnect field phones for battlefield and garrison communications

BC-611-F handheld radio transceiver, also called a "walkie talkie" used during World War II

After our tour of the museum we visited the other buildings except we did not go inside the house.  I do not believe it was open today.  Doreen visited the gift shop building and we also did not go inside the bed and breakfast.  

The Bed and Breakfast

The original Hamner House, where Earl Hamner Jr, his parents, his brothers and sisters and grandparents all lived.

Front view of the Hamner (Walton) house

The Gift Shop

We were glad we made the drive to see this area.  It brought back memories of the show and was interesting to learn how the show was developed.  Maybe it brought back some memories for you also.  

One the way back, as we passed through Richmond, we saw the Phillip Morris headquarters with an interesting structure in front.