Shepherdstown Community Club

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One of the cutest historic structures in Jefferson County, the Florence Shaw Demonstration Cottage, affectionately known as the Little House, is nestled in the heart of the Shepherdstown Historic District.

Professor Florence Shaw, who supervised the teacher training program at Shepherd College, now Shepherd University, dreamed up a project in the late 1920s to give student-teachers hands-on experience while creating an engaging educational opportunity for local children. Over the summers of 1928 and 1929, she recruited local students to help build a small working farm on campus.
Nineteen student teachers guided twelve 5th and 6th graders as they researched Shenandoah Valley farms, cleared the lot, planted crops, and collaborated with local experts who generously donated their time and materials. Notable contributions included wiring from Potomac Edison, framing help from the university’s carpenter, and expertise from Charlie “Big Moustache” Jones, a local stonemason.

The Little Farm was modeled after other farms in the Shenandoah Valley and originally featured small gardens and a field. At the heart of the project is the Little House, a charming one-and-a-half-story coursed limestone building in the Dutch Colonial Revival style, measuring just 10 feet by 9 feet 6 inches and standing 10 feet tall. It’s fully furnished, with a living room, dining room, kitchen, working lights, and even a once-working fireplace—visible through its miniature windows!

While the gardens and field were lost in the 1970s when renovations were undertaken to transform White Gymnasium into White Hall, the miniature dairy barn still exists across Town Run.
We’d love to hear from you! Do you have any memories of this charming landmark? Share your stories in the comments!
If you would like to read more about this structure you can find a wonderful article from the Shepherdstown Chronicle here:
https://www.shepherdstownchronicle.com/.../little-house.../