Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 02/16/1988
NRHP Listing Date 06/07/1988
NHL Listing Date 06/07/1988
NRHP Reference Number 88001825
A little-known presidential retreat, Camp Hoover is at the Rapidan River headwaters, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The rustic complex was developed between 1929 and 1932 as a “summer White House” by President Herbert Hoover and First Lady Lou Henry Hoover, on a 164-acre parcel owned by them. Here the president sought recreation and spiritual renewal. He also used the camp for working vacations, stating: “I have discovered that even the work of government can be improved by leisurely discussions of its problems out under the trees where no bells or callers jar one’s thoughts.” Among Hoover’s guests here were Ramsay MacDonald, Charles Lindbergh, and Thomas Edison. The Hoovers deeded the camp to the Commonwealth in 1932; it was later transferred to the National Park Service and is part of Shenandoah National Park. The camp underwent a restoration in the early 2000s.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: September 22, 2021
