Historic West Virginia bed and breakfast Inn: for sale

History Of Our Bed And Breakfast In West Virginia

Washington's Land "Rock Hall"

About 1748, 18-year-old George Washington came to this area to survey for Lord Fairfax. He was an astute business person, even at such an early age. He invested his earnings as a surveyor in 550 acres of farmland on Bullskin Run, two miles southwest of Charles Town. The 18 acres of our bed and breakfast in West Virginia are part of that original purchase. Washington lived at “Rock Hall” or the “Bullskin Plantation” about 200 yards west of our property. Between 1747 and 1799, he surveyed more than 200 tracts of land. In 1752, he made his first land purchase – 1459 acres along Bullskin Creek in Frederick County, Virginia (later to become West Virginia). He would eventually own some 2,000 acres, including the property that comprises oudr Inn.

On our Breakfast porch, you will see the part of our house that was constructed Circa 1700, believed to be a “Patent House”. The rest of the Main House was added to that original structure by General Frank E. Bamford, hence The Bamford Suite.

Patent House

Washington leased his land in 200-acre parcels. His leases were very precise. Each tenant should build a 20’ dwelling and a good 40’ barn, plant and care for specific crops, install certain “creatures,” erect and maintain fences, plant an orchard and vineyard, and preserve the woodlots without overcutting.

Wealthy landowners like Lord Fairfax and Washington did not want to grant tracks of land to speculators (like themselves). They wanted people who planned to live and farm the land. So, they required all sorts of things: sometimes that an orchard be planted, for example. The most typical requirement was for the patent holder to build a house of a certain size. In Northern Virginia, Fairfax (and those who got their land from him) often required the house be built of stone to demonstrate that the patent holder was serious about the endeavour.

General Frank E. Bamford

Our Inn was built as a private home by Brigadier General Frank E. Bamford, at the height of the roaring ’20s on land George Washington once owned and farmed. Timbers and stone from the Locke Farm, which occupied the site in the 1800s, were used in the construction. The original spring house provided our Inn with water up until 2005 when the house was switched to a well.

General Bamford modelled our Inn after an inn he loved in Normandy, where he stayed after the First World War. So it especially fitting that our Inn should now be a country inn in the European tradition, graciously refurbished by the Carroll’s, who acquired the property in 1984. The Zanella family carried on that style and tradition since their purchase of our Inn in 2004.

Historic Hawthorn House

Once a parcel of a historic grant from Lord Fairfax in 1760, the property was settled and developed by the Thomson family circa 1833. Following an extensive restoration beginning in 2011, this stately home showcases the very best of historic and classic architectural elements combined with modern conveniences and four beautifully appointed suites.

Our corporate guests can utilize the state of the art conference room located in the historic Stone House.

Charles Town, West Virginia

Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and is also the county seat. The population was 5,259 at the 2010 census.

"Charlestown" was established by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in January 1787. However, for about two decades, confusion arose because the same name was also used for a town established in Ohio County at the mouth of Buffalo Creek, and authorized in the 1791 term of that local court. That area in 1797 became known as Brooke County, with that "Charlestown" as its county seat until a December 27, 1816 act of the Virginia General Assembly changed its name to Wellsburg, to honor a trader and his son.

Charles Washington, the founder of Charles Town, was born in Hunting Creek, now Fairfax County, Virginia, on May 2, 1738. He was the youngest full brother of George Washington. He came to what is today Jefferson County between April and October of 1780. The estate of Charles Washington, Happy Retreat, was erected in 1780. In 1786, on 80 acres (320,000 m²) of his adjoining land, Charles laid out the streets of Charles Town, naming many of them after his brothers and one after his wife, Mildred. He donated the four corner lots at the intersection of George and Washington Streets for public buildings of the town and county, provided the town become the seat of the county separated from Berkeley County,

In 1794, James Madison married "Dolly" Todd at Harewood, the home of George Steptoe Washington, son of George Washington's brother Colonel Samuel Washington, just outside Charles Town.

19th century

Jefferson County was formed in 1801 as Charles Washington had anticipated. The county court house stands on one of the lots he donated, as did the jail until 1919 when it was demolished and replaced by the Post Office.

Charles Washington died sometime between July and September 1799, only a short while before the death of his brother George. Charles' and his wife Mildred's gravesites near Evitts Run have recently been located and surrounded by a stone wall.

In 1844, the first issue of the Spirit of Jefferson newspaper was published in Charles Town by James W. Beller. It is the oldest newspaper in the state still (2020) being published.

On October 16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown and his followers raided the Federal arsenal at nearby Harpers Ferry, 7 miles (11 km) east of Charles Town. The insurrection was quickly put down and John Brown and his captured associates were tried in the Jefferson County Courthouse for treason, murder, and fomenting a slave insurrection; all were found guilty. On December 2, 1859, Brown was hanged in Charles Town at the location occupied today by the Gibson-Todd House. The trial and execution brought the national press and many other visitors to Charles Town. See Virginia v. John Brown.

During the first two years of the Civil War, the front lines of the Union and Confederate armies in the area fluctuated and the town frequently changed hands during the military engagements in the surrounding areas, with the town first occupied by Confederate troops, then Union troops, then back to Confederate until 1863 when Union troops occupied the town for the remainder of the war.

In 1883, the Valley Telephone Company was incorporated in West Virginia and began installing telephone lines throughout Jefferson County. The company's main office was in Charles Town.

20th century

In 1922, William Blizzard, a leader of striking coal miners, was charged with treason and murder for engaging in warfare against state and federal troops in Mingo and Logan Counties. He was tried in the Jefferson County courthouse in Charles Town and was found not guilty.

The Charles Town Race Track first opened in 1933. It was built on land purchased from the Charles Town Horse Show Association. In 1999, the Charles Town Race Track underwent major renovation which included a large addition to house video slot machines. It was renamed Charles Town Races & Slots. It's now^[timeframe?] the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

In 1975, the new Jefferson Memorial Hospital opened, replacing the old Charles Town General Hospital. It is now^[timeframe?] part of the West Virginia University Hospitals (WVUH-East) chain of health care facilities, and was renamed Jefferson Medical Center in 2013.

21st century

Charles Town's population has more than doubled since 2000, due in part to annexation of housing subdivisions that have been developed on land around the original city.^[10]

Geography and climate

Charles Town is located in the lower Shenandoah Valley at 39°17′3″N 77°51′22″W (39.284237, -77.856211).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.81 square miles (15.05 km²), all of it land.

Charles Town is located 73 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. and 75 miles west of Baltimore.

Due to its low elevation for West Virginia, Charles Town is on the northern extent of the Humid Subtropical climate zone, having cool to mildly cold winters and hot and humid summers. Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, providing lush, abundant plant growth.

Transportation

US Route 340 and West Virginia Route 9 leading towards Charles Town

Charles Town is served primarily by two main highways, U.S. Route 340 and West Virginia Route 9, which run concurrently for a short stretch in the vicinity of Charles Town. US 340 travels in a general southwest to northeast direction, connecting Charles Town to locations in the eastern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to the southwest. To the northeast, US 340 provides direct access to Harpers Ferry and Frederick. WV 9 traverses the region with a northwest-to-southeast orientation, connecting Charles Town to Martinsburg and Leesburg. Additional highways serving Charles Town include West Virginia Route 51 and West Virginia Route 115.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,259 people, 2,011 households, and 1,289 families living in the city. The population density was 905.2 inhabitants per square mile (349.5/km²). There were 2,270 housing units at an average density of 390.7 per square mile (150.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.9% White, 13.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.7% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.0% of the population.

There were 2,011 households, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.19.

The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.5% were from 45 to 64, and 12.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,907 people, 1,285 households, and 732 families living in the city. The population density was 2,082.3 people per square mile (801.7/km²). There were 1,396 housing units at an average density of 999.9 per square mile (385.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.91% White, 17.54% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.03% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.55% of the population.

There were 1,285 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,538, and the median income for a family was $43,547. Males had a median income of $30,917 versus $22,241 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,104. About 13.2% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.