1944: A committee was appointed to replace the Shepherdstown Lion’s Club, which had existed briefly during 1943-44, with a new, local service dub. The committee consisted of Getus Lowe, K.W. Eutsier, and Rev. John H. Fray.
1945: The first meeting of the new dub, the Shepherdstown Men’s Club, took place on February 1 at Shepherd College’s McMurran Hall with 11 members attending. The following officers were appointed: President, Rev. John H. Fray; Vice President, Max Derr; Secretary, Albert Kave; Treasurer, Russel White.
During this meeting, a resolution was adopted that stated the Club’s objectives as follows:
1. To organize a group of men who will be representative of the civic interests of Shepherdstown and community, and to develop the whole life of the community.
2. To gather the men of the community into a congenial social fellowship.
3. To co-operate with all organizations engaged in the promotion of the public welfare.
4. To foster among the citizens adherence to the highest ideals of business and professional relationships.
At its second meeting two weeks later, the Club voted to meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month; this is still the Club’s meeting schedule. A goal was set of attracting 60 members. This goal was surpassed by early summer.
During the balance of the year, the Club helped to provide for a lifeguard and necessary equipment at the town bathing beach on the Potomac River. It also held a tin-can drive in support of the war effort and initiated Halloween parties for local school children.
Also during 1945, the club began negotiations with the trustees of the Southern Methodist Church to purchase the building the Church had recently vacated. The building, constructed in 1868-69, occupies the front half of Lot 21 of Thomas Shepherd’s original town plat.
1946: The Club continued negotiations over the purchase of the Methodist Church building. As part of its civic activities, the Club joined with the Shepherdstown Women’s Club to ask the governor to have a state trooper stationed in Shepherdstown, and advertised for a dentist to set up a local practice.
1947: The purchase of the Methodist Church building was finally completed at a cost of $7,000, and the building was renamed the “War Memorial Building” in recognition of those who had lost their lives during World War II.
1948: The Club began making improvements to the War Memorial Building, adding a furnace, restrooms, and a kitchen. The Club donated funds to several community projects, and the membership continued to increase.
1950s: The Club continued to thrive as a community service organization. The War Memorial Building served as major venue for community meetings of all kinds.
1961: In September, the Club purchased 20 acres of farmland outside Shepherdstown for use as a public park, and named it “Morgan’s Grove Park.” The purchase price was $20,000.
The Park property was located in an area south of town that has a long, rich history.
The land immediately to the north and east of the Park originally belonged to Captain Richard Morgan, a prominent early settler. In the summer of 1775, a nearby spring on Morgan’s land was the starting point for the famous “Beeline March” by a company of local militia who marched 600 miles in 24 days to join General George Washington in Cambridge after the battles of Lexington and Concord.
By the time of the Civil War, the property the Park now occupies was the site of the home of Alexander Robinson Boteler, a member of the U.S. Congress who became a delegate to the
Confederate Congress and served on General Stonewall Jackson’s staff.
During the war, this property and the lands around it were the scene of several skirmishes and encampments of both Confederate andUnion troops as the two forces moved back and forth through the area. In 1864, Boteler’s mansion, named Fountain Rock, was burned by the Union army.
From 1889 to 1936, the old Boteler property served as the site of an annual Morgan’s Grove Fair. The most notable event at the fairgrounds occurred on September 6, 1900 when Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Brnt spoke to a crowd estimated at
15,000.
1962-67: Following the purchase of Morgan’s Grove Park, the aub voted on February 28, 1962 to incorporate for the first time as a nonprofit organization. Club members then began working to dear brush, plant new trees, and generally improve the property for park use.
In late summer 1962, the Club reported proudly that more than 700 people had used the Park so far that year. Picnic tables were added that year and space was allocated for a baseball diamond in 1964.
In 1965, the club erected a pavilion on the site of the old Boteler mansion at a cost of $5,000.
In 1966, having begun to sponsor annual horse shows at the park, the Club constructed a horse show ring; in 1967 it added a judge’s stand (these shows continued into the eaily 1980s; the section of the park where they took place is now occupied by soccer fields).
1974: The Club launched a 3-year program to upgrade facilities at the War Memorial Building and Morgan’s Grove Park. The work included a new kitchen for the War Memorial Building.
1975: A fire damaged the upper floor of the War Memorial Building on January 15. The community responded with donations of money, labor, and materials to repair the damage.
1988: On September 17, Secretary of the Army John 0. Marsh, Jr.; the 249th Army Band; and elements of the 3rd U.S. Infantry participated in a major ceremony at Morgan’s Grove Park to dedicate a plaque commemorating the Revolutionary War Beeline March. ‘This area has enormous significance to the US. Army,” Marsh said.
1989: The Club’s August newsletter noted that membership had dwindled to 56 paying members, “whereas last year the total membership was 96.”
In December, the newsletter observed that “we exdude half the population, namely the ladies, which has had the effect of exduding also a number of men who on principle will not join a segregated dub.” The newsletter went on to say that the issue of admitting women to membership “must be faced up to.”
1990: On November 28, the aub voted to change its by-laws to admit women to the membership.
Also, with about $45,000 in hand from a Capital Fund Drive, the Club undertook a series of building renovations and park improvements that continued over the next several years. The renovations of the War Memorial Building induded updating the kitchen and restrooms, an exterior facelift, painting, and electrical and plumbing work. The improvements to Morgan’s Grove Park indudeci new playground equipment.
1991: The first women joined the Club on March 13. They were Kit Franklin, Dotty Marshall, Dorothy McGee, and Peg McNaughton.
By the end of the year, the Club’s membership was back up to 100.
1995: On March 8, the Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with special dinner at the War Memorial Building followed by a performance of “mostly French” music at the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church.
1998: Maura Brackett became the first woman to serve as president of the Club.
1999: Morgan’s Grove Park and the old Morgan land around it were entered into the National Register of Historic Places as the Morgan’s Grove Historic District. New kitchen and restroom facilities at the Park were dedicated.
2003-2004: An elevator and storage area were added to the War Memorial Building, and new playground equipment was installed at Morgan’s Grove Park.