Great Eastern Resort Management history

Kercheval [A History of the Valley of Virginia, by Samuel Kercheval (1833)] the Herodotus of the Valley, says: "The two great branches of the Shenandoah, from its forks upwards, were among our earliest settlements." However, in his opinion, Jost Hite was the great Valley Pioneer.

When Rockingham Springs was opened in 1875, it was advertised heavily in Baltimore, Washington and Richmond through a brochure describing its 'restful delights' and a complete chemical analysis of the spring waters attesting to the 'restorative powers' found in five natural springs.

Rockingham Springs was founded in 1878 by G.T. Hopkins, owner of 1,000 acres of rough and tumble mountain land that, to the average eye, seemed worthless.

The crowds dwindled and Rockingham Springs closed for good in 1915.

He is also the designer (in 1924) of the Rhodes family massacre monument at the site of the Rhodes farm and probably Martin Kauffman's stone next to the White House property.

Later generations of the Hopkins family grazed cattle and raised poultry on the site until 1968.

Three years later, May 26, 1971, the development of 5,200 acres in Massanutten, by a group of ten investors, was announced at a luncheon held at Spotswood Country Club in Harrisonburg.

The ski area was finally opened on February 10, 1973 after five nights of snowmaking.

In 1977, the project was sold to Dale Stancil, J.R. Costin, Henry Clark and Stephen Bradshaw.