One
of Luray's most familiar and beloved landmarks is "Goshen", originally
the property of Peter Ruffner, later known as the Freeze place and in
more recent years the I. N. Dovel home, now owned by Mr. Justin
Hunsaker.
A
large stone, now in the porch, and originally in a large chimney on the
west side of the house, bears the following: "Ix Woolf, May 22, 1805",
which may be the date of construction.
Since
"Goshen" was located right beside the old road leading from Luray to
Thornton's Gap, the house saw a great deal of use as a tavern and
numerous tired and hungry travelers were lodged and fed at "Goshen".
The front door was originally at the south end of the house, although
the property has been remodeled a great deal and the front door is now
on the west side. The barroom was located in what is now the basement
and a stairway beneath the stairs to the second floor, led to this
area. The wagons and buggies of the travelers were parked in what is
now the garden.
It
seems that "Goshen" was often visited by soldiers during the War
Between the States and these visitors were often thirsty. Mrs. Freeze,
who resided there at that time, often served cold buttermilk to her
thirsty visitors.
From the book Old Homes of Page County, Virginia by Jennie Ann Kerkhoff. Published by Lauck and Company, Incorporated - Luray, VA
The Goshen House is on the National Registry of Historical Places.
