Rocktown History Coffee Mill
The Rocktown History Coffee Mills are brewing up stories from the past! This series of informal gatherings offers you a unique museum experience with Rocktown History’s own curator, researcher, historians, and other local history and genealogy friends.
Come get a peek at a featured artifact, help solve a history mystery, or discover a new story of the past while you savor richly brewed coffee from local coffee roaster Coffee Hound and fresh cream from Mt. Crawford Creamery. Coffee Mills are in-person at Rocktown History.
Free, donations appreciated.
Upcoming Conversations
Dec 9: Collections Committee Christmas Show & Tell of artifacts and archives. Plan to stay for David Wood’s discussion of Chief’s Letters at 11 am.
Coffee Mills will return on January 27, 2026.
The coffee is hot at 9:30 am. Plan for a visit to the galleries after the conversation!
Past Coffee Mill Conversations
Nov 25: Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center staff shares faith traditions through stories, artifacts, and experiential learning.
Nov 11: Michael Stoltzfus reflects on the history of Dynamic Aviation in Bridgewater, VA.
Oct 28: Barbara Camph shares the story of her Harrisonburg mosaic art project.
Oct 14: Pat Turner Ritchie brings to life the Civil War-era story of Aunt Eve.
Sep 23: David Ehrenpreis discusses the WWI memorial in Harrisonburg.
Sep 9: Elwood Yoder highlights the Anabaptism’s 500th anniversary & his new book
Aug 26: Bill Blair shares the history of early Presbyterian churches and settlers in the central Shenandoah Valley.
Aug 12: Curator Scott Suter reviews Boom activity in Harrisonburg’s north end during the 1890s.
Jul 22: Chaz Haywood and Megan Pullen provided a look at historic preservation resources at the Rockingham County Courthouse.
Jul 8: Greg Riddle rolled in with Classic Car friends. Drive yours to join the show and tell!
Jun 24: Jay Fulk shared his interest in store tokens.
Jun 10: Jeff Ishee discussed his family-tree-based novel, Two Sacks: One Family’s Journey from Swiss Germany to America 1803-1805.
May 27: Glenn Rodes presented notes on the Early Cemetery, located on Early Road east of I-81.
May 13: Bobby Driver returned to share more Grocery Boy stories.
Apr 22: Thom Flory discussed the story of the killing of Union Lt. John Rodgers Meigs, October 1864, approximately 1 mile from Rocktown History.
Apr 8: Gary Smucker spoke about documenting the traditional farm life of the Tusing sisters of Hardy County, West Virginia.
Mar 25: Jim Lawson looked into eastern Rockingham’s past, including the displacement of families to create Shenandoah National park.
Mar 11: Jon Henry combined grocery experience and history to talk about foodways.
Feb 25: Frances Richardson described the recreation of mid-1900s woven textiles and connections within the early Rockbridge County community.
Feb 11 (Snow Date, Feb 18): Ron Nallon shared the history of the historic Edinburg Mill (1848).
Jan 28: Bill Zirk reflected on the memories of his father-in-law Emory Shoemaker, Dayton resident and printer.
