Front Royal: Smithsonian Biological Conservation Institute

[Redleg]

Having ridden by here a few times on US 522 coming out of Front Royal I wondered what the history of this facility was. Figured I'd share in case anyone else was interested.

From Wikipedia: The land on which the SCBI lies has a history dating back to 1909, when the United States Army leased some 42 area farms. In the years predating World War I, the land served as a series of U.S. Army Remount Service depots, supplying horses and mules to the military. The federal government ultimately purchased the land in 1911 and began construction on the Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot. Completed in 1916, the Depot consisted of eleven barn and stable facilities, hundreds of miles of split-rail fencing, many miles of access roads, and a rail yard facility for the import and export of animals. The Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot remained in operation throughout both world wars, and was eventually expanded to include a canine training facility and detention barracks for 600 German and Italian prisoners of war.

[Backroad Mike]

Originally Posted by Redleg

Having ridden by here a few times on US 522 coming out of Front Royal I wondered what the history of this facility was. Figured I'd share in case anyone else was interested.

From Wikipedia: The land on which the SCBI lies has a history dating back to 1909, when the United States Army leased some 42 area farms. In the years predating World War I, the land served as a series of U.S. Army Remount Service depots, supplying horses and mules to the military. The federal government ultimately purchased the land in 1911 and began construction on the Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot. Completed in 1916, the Depot consisted of eleven barn and stable facilities, hundreds of miles of split-rail fencing, many miles of access roads, and a rail yard facility for the import and export of animals. The Ayleshire Quartermaster Remount Depot remained in operation throughout both world wars, and was eventually expanded to include a canine training facility and detention barracks for 600 German and Italian prisoners of war.

Is that the place with the high fence and the multiple entry points on the NB side of 522 just before town?

[Redleg]

Originally Posted by Backroad Mike

Is that the place with the high fence and the multiple entry points on the NB side of 522 just before town?

Yup. It has a distinctly pre-Cold War military look to it and had me wondering what it had been before the Smithsonian took it over.