In 1927, this log structure was slated for demolition by its owner, Thomas Pyles, after he built a new house for his family, but the Potomac Valley Chapter WV #4-042 N.S.D.A.R. raised $200 to buy it. Because the building was in poor repair and funds were difficult to raise, it was deeded in the 1930's to the Mineral County court for $1 so it could qualify for WPA funding and restoration work. Ownership later returned to the N.S.D.A.R., and the Old Fort museum opened on July 4, 1939. In 1968, the Fort Ashby Chapter WV #4-057 N.S.D.A.R. was formed and shared responsibility for the museum's care and programming, and in 1988 full ownership was deeded to that chapter. The chapter later established the Friends of Ashby's Fort, Inc., and in 2014 ownership was deeded to the friends on June 7, 2016. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1970, and became a Mineral County Historic Landmark on April 30, 2016.
