Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers without restrictions. Researchers must register and agree to all copyright laws and archives policies before using the collection. Please contact the Shenandoah County Library before visiting to use this collection.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

This collection is open to researchers without restrictions. Researchers must register and agree to all copyright laws and archives policies before using the collection. Please contact the Shenandoah County Library before visiting to use this collection.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item] Margaret Hoffman Collection, 1916-1969, Truban Archives, Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia, USA.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from the estate of Marguerite Ritenour Hoffman July 25 2018.

Processing Information

Items were purchased from an auction. No original organization remained. Items were sorted by type and processed chronologically.

Biographical/Historical Note

Margaret V. Hoffman (1889-1986) was the founder of Camp Strawderman, a recreational camp for girls in the Columbia Furnace section of Shenandoah County west of Edinburg. Her father had inherited the farm that is now the camp and she began bringing friends to the area in 1917. In 1929 the camp was officially founded and she remained its director for over 50 years. She grew up in Woodstock Virginia and attended the Women's College of Frederick Maryland. Her parents were Dr. Samuel Joseph Hoffman and Margaret Virginia Rinker Hoffman.

Her niece Margaret V. Hoffman Gouldman (1922-) is the current owner of the camp. She grew up in Woodstock Virginia and attended Madison College (now James Madison University).

Scope and Content

The Margaret Hoffman Collection consists of approximately 8 linear feet of material. This includes 160 folders of documents, 48 sleeves of photographs, eight oversize folders, and an assortment of physical objects and class notebooks. They are stored in 3 document cases, a single photograph box, two oversize boxes, and a single oversize folder inside the archive's map case.

The collection is organized into the following five (5) series:

Series I: Correspondence consisting of letters sent by Margaret V. Hoffman (Gouldman) while living in Woodstock and while attending Madison College in Harrisonburg Virginia. The correspondence is dated 1916-1955 and is sorted chronologically.

Series II: Document consists of documents from the Hoffman family, activities in Woodstock Virginia, and activities in Harrisonburg Virginia. The documents are dated 1903-1945 and are sorted chronologically.

Series III: Camp Strawderman consists of documents, booklets, and marketing material from Camp Strawderman west of Edinburg Virginia. The materials are dated 1939-ca. 1960 and are sorted chronologically.

Series IV: Photographs consists of photographs primarily showing events and people at Camp Strawderman. The photographs are dated 1930-1947 and are sorted chronologically.

Series V: Notebooks consists of Camp Strawderman related notebooks and those from Margaret V. Hoffman's time at the Women's College of Frederick Maryland. They are dated 1888-1939 and are sorted by size.

Series VI: Objects consists of physical objects from Woodstock Virginia. They are dated ca. 1940 and are sorted by size.

Series VII: Oversize consists of oversize materials, primarily newspapers. They are dated 1893-1969 and are sorted chronologically.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into seven (7) series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1916-1955 Box 1: Stack 9, Shelf 3 38758101509411 Box 2: Stack 9, Shelf 3 38758101509403 Series II: Documents, 1903-1945 Box 3: Stack 9, Shelf 3 38758101509395 Series III: Camp Strawderman, 1939- ca. 1960 Box 3: Stack 9, Shelf 3 38758101509395 Series IV: Photographs, 1930-1947 Box 3: Stack 9, Shelf 3 38758101509395 Box 4: Stack 9, Shelf 3 3875801509387 Series V: Notebooks, 1888-1939 Box 5: Stack 3, Shelf 7 38758101509379 Series VI: Objects, ca. 1940 Box 5: Stack 3, Shelf 7 38758101509379 Series VII: Oversize, 1893-1969 Box 6: Stack 2, Shelf 5 38758101509361 OVERSIZE FOLDER 1 Map Case Drawer D, Folder 19 38758101161080

Index Terms

Persons:

• Hoffman, Margaret V. (1889-1986)