Wardensville Garden Market- Official Welcome Center

OFFICIAL VISITORS CENTER Open All Weekend

The Wardensville Garden Market is located on 100 acres of property that includes several miles of the Cacapon River and was originally owned by the Frye family—one of the founding families of Wardensville—since the 1800s. It was part of the original land surveyed and laid off by a young George Washington and, according to family members, was known as the "H.W. Frye Homeplace." If you look across the street to the North, you will see the original brick home that Henry Westfall Frye built in 1825 (to the left of the pond) perched on higher ground, allowing them to sit on their front porch and watch over the farm. In 1893, H.W. Frye gave 221 acres to his son John, who then transferred the property to his three children, Marshall, Homer, and Laura. In 1909, Homer and Marshall bought Laura's share and split the property into two pieces, with Marshall owning 99 acres (this is now the property where the Wardensville Garden Market is located). In 1917, Marshall died and deeded it to his children, Laura, Paul, John, and Opal. The farm was then passed down to two more generations before transforming into the Wardensville Garden Market in 2016.

The Wardensville Garden Market has become a must-stop destination where you will find products sourced exclusively from West Virginia and neighboring Appalachian states. As an independent farm/producer, they strive to offer shelf space to similarly small vendors - many of whom produce handmade goods. The Wardensville Garden Market is the first project of Farms Work Wonders, an award-winning food, farm, and arts-based nonprofit social enterprise. Its mission is to ignite the spark of curiosity within Appalachian youth so they see themselves and their futures in new and exciting ways. The nonprofit social enterprise model allows them to address historically negative economic development in Appalachia. Unlike traditional businesses, which often have extracted profits for outside interests, they create opportunities for youth and reinvest 100% of the fruits of their labors locally. Today, the farm project is certified organic and has a bustling produce market and from-scratch bakery, which employs over 60 people, with almost half of them being local high school students known as Junior Crew. Since 2016 they have increased sales by more than 100% each year and awarded over $180,000 to their students and staff.

Farmhouse Market Hours:
Friday through Monday 10 am - 7 pm

Outdoor Farm Stand Hours:
Friday 3 pm - 6 pm
Saturday 10 am - 1 pm

Directions: Located at 28813 State Road 55 in Wardensville (Located at the intersection of State Road 259 and State Highway 55/48