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From:
Subject: Re: Fw: Weirs Cave, Virginia
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2000 16:52:16 EDT


This is in response to a previous post requesting information on Weirs Cave,
Rockingham County, Virginia. It might be of interest to others studying this
area.

The following is an excerpt from the book The Heartland by Nancy B. Hess,
R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co., Willard, Ohio, 1976 (pp. 357-358). This is a
delightful book detailing many areas of Rockingham County, Virginia history.

Weyers Cave

A young fellow named Bernard Weyer enjoyed roaming the fields and countryside
near his home. He was a good hunter, and he became very annoyed when
groundhogs continued to elude him and carry off his expensive traps. It was
in the year 1806 when he armed himself with a spade and set off determined to
catch the rascals and retrieve his traps. While digging into the groundhogs'
escape hole, he came upon a subterranean fairyland of unbelieveable beauty.
He explored the cave at length. The caverns contained calcareous deposits,
and by penetrating the cavern floor he found layers of brilliant white
crystals. The many rooms of the cavern he named after leading statesmen of
the day.

This cave is now known as "Grand Caverns," but was first known as "Weyers
Cave." it is situated on a bluff which runs along the west bank of the South
Branch of the Shenandoah River, near the present town of Grottoes. Young
Weyer lived in the vicinity of Weyers Cave. An early diary spelled "Weir"
when referring to Weir's Cave.

There is an earlier story supported by lines in a diary. This is the story
of a young white girl who was kidnapped by the son of an Indian chief. The
young brave wanted little "white dove," as she was called, to be his Indian
bride. These Indians were friendly, but nevertheless, when the young maiden
was left unattended, the Indians swooped down and she vanished into the
forest. In the area there roamed a mad woman, a deranged creature, whom some
called a witch. Soon after the kidnapping she appeared at the home of the
lost maiden--gabbing out a strange tale of stealing the white dove from her
captors and hiding her in an underground palace where the walls were silver
and the floors were pearl. The old woman said if they would give her a horse
she would bring the young girl home. The tale was true....the old creature
brought the child home, but with a fever. In the girl's delirium she talked
of a marble palace with the moon shining through the roof. The settlers set
the story down as nonsense, and it was nearly another hundred years before
the young hunter found his way into the underground cavern.

In days gone by, excursion trains carrying tourists often came to "Grottoes
on the Shenandoah" and enjoyed the "Grand Caverns." In the hot days of
summer, there was the swimming beach along the river--complete with diving
rock. There were picnics on the spacious lawn and camping in the meadow.
The park at the caverns was exquisite and offered pleasant rest and
relaxation. Recently, the property has been taken over by the Upper Valley
Regional Park Authority for future development of the caverns and the
emcompassing facilities.

End

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