Many of you have driven by that blue building on Watts Passage in the middle of a great swath of beautiful green grass, and you may not have given a thought to what goes on there.  The name suggests rural pursuits, and that much is correct, but today’s Ruritan Clubs aren’t limited by rural concerns. Obviously, Stony Point as a community is part of the larger area of Charlottesville, but there is a place for local community fellowship and action in the area around Stony Point, meaning the area surrounding Route 20 north of Route 250 to Barboursville.

The National Ruritan Club boasts a diverse membership drawn from various walks of life, united by a shared commitment to improving local communities. Its primary goal is to foster goodwill and understanding through service projects, scholarships, and initiatives that address community needs. By promoting active civic engagement and fellowship, the club seeks to strengthen the bonds between neighbors and create a lasting, positive impact on rural and urban communities alike.

Our local Ruritan Club has been doing just that! Chartered on June 12, 1962, the Stony Point Ruritan Club has supported decades of community service and fellowship. Macon Flint, Charles Sudduth, John Biller and Tom Carpenter were voted in as the first slate of officers, and many other Stony Point men supported the group as it came together to buy the land and build the building that houses us today. The land sale called for an initial outlay of $7000 for 15.08 acres sold by S.T. White in June of 1964, and the Ruritan began a long series of yearly horse shows, shooting matches, gun raffles, community “Fun Nights” and more to pay off this loan. The club met in the Stony Point School Cafeteria and participated in service projects such as sending money for livestock in the Dominican Republic, sponsoring school clean-ups, and giving money for children to go on field trips.  In 1965, plans were made to build the clubhouse, and an estimate was given of $4000 for a 32 by 60 foot building. In 1966, a chapter of the Boy Scouts was started.  After a lot of hard work, on the 4^th of July, 1968, the building was dedicated!  With this new building, new opportunities opened up to make money to pay off the loans.

The Ruritan Club started having dances every other weekend. The building was also opened up for children to skate.  Meanwhile, the Ruritan was involved in protecting the area by circulating a petition to help protect the Route 20 corridor from becoming a truck route with the coincident widening of the road, which would have caused the area to lose much of its charm and history. The Club was also instrumental in having the Fire Department built, as there was no local fire station.  As well, they served as a place to educate the community and provide feedback on county government and highway projects. Many family dinners and picnics were held, and the club continued its service work with work on the road before it was widened, donating food and firewood to families in need, and raising money for special funds, including a reward fund for the capture of the person who murdered a local shopkeeper.

In 1976, The Stony Point Ruritan finally paid off their mortgage loans, and on July 4^th, 1976, had a mortgage burning ceremony, as they became independent while the country celebrated the Bicentennial. 

Sometime around 1990, the Ruritans decided to accept female members…this gave a well-needed boost to the membership. Marlaine Hall was the first female member, and shortly thereafter, the Stony Point Boo House became a fixture of the Ruritan calendar.

Currently, Stony Point Ruritan Club has twenty-five members, nearly evenly split between men and women. We sponsor the Scouts and have both boys and girls in the troop. This year we have met monthly for fellowship over a potluck dinner, sponsored three $1000 scholarships to students in post-secondary schools, cleaned up Route 20 between Watts Passage and Stony Point Market several times, helped a neighbor remove trees from her driveway, and we rent out garden plots on our property. This spring, we sponsored a “Friend-Raising” picnic, where we served approximately 240 people dinner for no cost to them, as well as hosting the EMS helicopter, Stony Point Fire Department, and Albemarle County Police. We enjoyed seeing local merchants and hearing local Bluegrass music from  David Sexton and friend. We rent out our building, which is now air-conditioned, for a comparatively low fee. We are looking at forming a garden maintenance group for Stony Point Elementary School, and we look forward to hosting more events in the future – The “Friend-Raising” will be back!

Won’t you consider joining our club? In this time of political schisms and proliferating work-from-home days, come join a group that is committed to forming real community! Come check us out on the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm; we will feed you for your first meeting! Bring your own beverage and enjoy our (often humorous!) gathering.

Stony Point Ruritan

Location:  2835 Watts Passage, Charlottesville, VA 22911

Coming from South 20, take a left at the sharp curve onto Route 600/Watts Passage.  The blue building will be on the right-hand side.

Meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm. 

New members are welcome! Contact David Norbrock to join.

Stony Point Ruritan Officers

President: David Nordbrock

Vice-President:  Biery Davis

Treasurer:  JoAnne Weaver

Secretary:  Sally Clarry

Building Rentals: Biery Davis  and John Steedley

Contact the President for more info.