thedrifter
09-20-06, 09:15 AM
Owner has hopes soldier's memorial will be put to use
By Karen Karaszkiewicz The Record Herald
War veteran.
Mary Rae Cantwell of Monterey Lane purchased the building called “The Last Retreat” and its surrounding property at an auction three years ago, saying its historical significance convinced her it should be saved.
A two-story mobile home on the property along Route 16 near Charmian Road once was the home of the late Joseph Sr. and Liberty Virginia Brubaker, who built the small stone building and monument in 1972 in honor of their son, Cpl. Joseph Brubaker Jr.
Brubaker Jr., their only son, died in 1969, in a helicopter crash in DaNang, Vietnam.
Meeting the family
The architecture of The Last Retreat first caught Cantwell's eye eight years ago, and she stopped by the Brubakers' nearby home to inquire about the structure.
She learned from the family that the building and monument were constructed entirely of rocks from the “Devil's Racecourse,” an area formed by glaciers along the Appalachian Trail between Pen Mar and High Rock. Brubaker Sr. hauled the rocks onto the site himself.
“I suggested the building would make a wonderful museum to tell the story of the (nearby Happel's Meadow) wetlands and history of Blue Ridge Summit,” Cantwell said.
Several years later, after Liberty Brubaker passed away, Cantwell noticed the property was up for sale at an auction. She bought it for $75,000 with the hope the building would some day be restored.
“I was scared to death someone would buy it and tear it all down,” Cantwell said.
A community center
The building, which contains 250 square feet, once was used as a center for the community.
Its surrounding picnic tables and atmosphere made it an ideal place for birthday parties and small gatherings, according to Shirley Motz of Waynesboro, who cared for Joseph Brubaker Sr. before his death last year.
The Last Retreat was dedicated on June 4, 1972, by the Brother Marines of Fort Meade, Md.
According to a plaque on a monument, Brubaker received 31 strike/flight awards and a Purple Heart during his two years in Vietnam. He died at the age of 22 along with seven other Marines, when two helicopters collided on Feb. 4, 1969.
Brubaker's obituary and several of his medals are on display at the Waynesboro VFW Post.
Tom Wallis, a retired veteran who attended the dedication, said the Brubakers built the memorial to help them cope with the death of their son. A couple once exchanged wedding vows in the building, he noted.
“I'd love to see it stay here and be maintained for the reason it was put up,” Wallis said.
Ideas for restoration
Cantwell said The Last Retreat is still a perfect location for an information center about the Battle of Monterey and the Happel's Meadow wetland preserve.
“Everything comes to a point right here,” said Cantwell, who was involved with restoration work at Catoctin Furnace for many years. She grew up in Maryland and moved permanently to the Waynesboro area permanently in 1984.
Cantwell said she has brought up the idea of restoration with various groups including the One Mountain Foundation, a Cascade non-profit organization concerned with quality-of-life issues in the mountaintop community. She serves on the board of directors of the organization.
“The ideas have just spread,” she said.
An information center could help turn Blue Ridge Summit into a tourist area, Cantwell noted.
The village was a popular resort location for the Washington, D.C., elite prior to the 1930s.
“Tourism is a big industry - it brings economic development into the community,” Cantwell said.
Ellie
By Karen Karaszkiewicz The Record Herald
War veteran.
Mary Rae Cantwell of Monterey Lane purchased the building called “The Last Retreat” and its surrounding property at an auction three years ago, saying its historical significance convinced her it should be saved.
A two-story mobile home on the property along Route 16 near Charmian Road once was the home of the late Joseph Sr. and Liberty Virginia Brubaker, who built the small stone building and monument in 1972 in honor of their son, Cpl. Joseph Brubaker Jr.
Brubaker Jr., their only son, died in 1969, in a helicopter crash in DaNang, Vietnam.
Meeting the family
The architecture of The Last Retreat first caught Cantwell's eye eight years ago, and she stopped by the Brubakers' nearby home to inquire about the structure.
She learned from the family that the building and monument were constructed entirely of rocks from the “Devil's Racecourse,” an area formed by glaciers along the Appalachian Trail between Pen Mar and High Rock. Brubaker Sr. hauled the rocks onto the site himself.
“I suggested the building would make a wonderful museum to tell the story of the (nearby Happel's Meadow) wetlands and history of Blue Ridge Summit,” Cantwell said.
Several years later, after Liberty Brubaker passed away, Cantwell noticed the property was up for sale at an auction. She bought it for $75,000 with the hope the building would some day be restored.
“I was scared to death someone would buy it and tear it all down,” Cantwell said.
A community center
The building, which contains 250 square feet, once was used as a center for the community.
Its surrounding picnic tables and atmosphere made it an ideal place for birthday parties and small gatherings, according to Shirley Motz of Waynesboro, who cared for Joseph Brubaker Sr. before his death last year.
The Last Retreat was dedicated on June 4, 1972, by the Brother Marines of Fort Meade, Md.
According to a plaque on a monument, Brubaker received 31 strike/flight awards and a Purple Heart during his two years in Vietnam. He died at the age of 22 along with seven other Marines, when two helicopters collided on Feb. 4, 1969.
Brubaker's obituary and several of his medals are on display at the Waynesboro VFW Post.
Tom Wallis, a retired veteran who attended the dedication, said the Brubakers built the memorial to help them cope with the death of their son. A couple once exchanged wedding vows in the building, he noted.
“I'd love to see it stay here and be maintained for the reason it was put up,” Wallis said.
Ideas for restoration
Cantwell said The Last Retreat is still a perfect location for an information center about the Battle of Monterey and the Happel's Meadow wetland preserve.
“Everything comes to a point right here,” said Cantwell, who was involved with restoration work at Catoctin Furnace for many years. She grew up in Maryland and moved permanently to the Waynesboro area permanently in 1984.
Cantwell said she has brought up the idea of restoration with various groups including the One Mountain Foundation, a Cascade non-profit organization concerned with quality-of-life issues in the mountaintop community. She serves on the board of directors of the organization.
“The ideas have just spread,” she said.
An information center could help turn Blue Ridge Summit into a tourist area, Cantwell noted.
The village was a popular resort location for the Washington, D.C., elite prior to the 1930s.
“Tourism is a big industry - it brings economic development into the community,” Cantwell said.
Ellie