Ravenswyck        its history and its stories

Ravenswyck origins

The oldest part of the house dates from at least 1827. Among Ravenswyck's owners were familiar Shenandoah Valley names such as Barr, Orndorff, Sager and Carper. A civil war artifact has been found on the property, and since one of the hilltops  strategically overlooks the well-traveled route between Winchester and Romney, West Virginia, it is possibly the site of skirmishes.

early 1900's history: the blacksmith

Blacksmith Harry Carper lived on the property for 50 years with his wife Eva. Harry was reportedly a bit of a curmudgeon, chasing away the boys playing marbles at the front lane. Eva compensated by feeding them home-baked pies. The wooded hillside adjacent to the driveway was pasture at that time, grazed by a milking cow. Occasionally boys living on the opposite hillside would spirit the cow away for two or three days,  milk it and make ice cream. If it was missing too long, the blacksmith would track it down and bring it home.

recent history: Ozz Miller

Rene Carpers sold the property for a song to their nephew Osborne "Ozz" Miller, an artist who lived at Ravenswyck from the 1950's until his death in 2002. During that time, it was a well-known weekend gathering place for friends from DC and beyond. People would begin arriving Thursday evenings and stay through Sunday, usually overflowing to outdoor sleeping. During many of those years Ravenswyck was populated with different species of fowl, including 47 peacocks—some of which eventually found a home at the National Zoo in Washington DC. Ozz eventually decided to simplify his life, pass on his feathered friends, and create perennial gardens instead. During this time he focused more on his art, which included oil painting, and sculptures in wood and metal.