Happy Retreat is the home built by Charles Washington, founder of Charles Town, West Virginia, and President George Washington’s youngest brother. Located on the edge of historic Charles Town, the property includes the 18th Century mansion, a stone and brick kitchen/storehouse, an old octagonal wooden school house and 12 acres of woods and lawns.
Located in the rapidly growing Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia – just 55 miles northwest of Washington D.C. - the property is vulnerable to development. It's owners are interested in selling the historic estate and wish to ensure that Happy Retreat be preserved in its entirety for the enjoyment of future generations.
Recognizing the threat to this historic property, a group of local preservation-minded citizens has formed the Friends of Happy Retreat, Inc. (FOHR), a non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring, preserving and utilizing the property for public benefit. A purchase option has been signed by the current owners and FOHR which should allow us sufficient time to raise the funds necessary to acquire the property.
How YOU can help preserve Happy Retreat!! Tax-deductible donations are urgently needed from individuals, foundations, small businesses, corporations and other organizations who share FOHR’s interest in the preservation of Happy Retreat. With your help, we can breathe new life into this historic estate as a center celebrating the arts, culture and rich history of the Washington family and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.
Donations can be made by mailing checks to:
Treasurer
Friends of Happy Retreat
P.O. Box 1427
Charles Town, WV, 25414
Contributions can also be made by credit card through Network for Good using the link below:
Our Newsletter :
The Rising Sun is Friends of Happy Retreat's newsletter and a means of informing the public of recent and upcoming events and accomplishments. CLICK HERE to read the most current edition. Comments on the content and utility of the Rising Sun are welcomed through our guest book or by email to the editor, Emily Wilson, at ewilson@happyretreat.org
Our Guestbook :
We now have an online guestbook. Please let us know you were here, and lend your thoughts and ideas. CLICK HERE.
Latest NEWS:
7/23/08: During a recent election of officers, Nelson Parkinson, a native Charles Town resident and Manager of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel was elected President of Friends of Happy Retreat, replacing Curt Mason who had held the office for the past 2 years.
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Washington Family Homes Tour to be held September 20th, 2008
To raise funds for continuing its operation, FOHR will host a tour of four of the eight remaining Washington Family homes: Happy Retreat, Harewood, Cedar Lawn, and Beallair. Visitors will be able to tour the grounds and enter each house for a peek at several rooms within these Jefferson County historical landmarks. Docents will be present to describe the furnishings and architecture, as well as to inform visitors of relevant genealogical information or historic events associated with the properties.
Tickets to visit all the homes are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour ($8 per single home) and may be ordered in advance by sending a check or money order (payable to Friends of Happy Retreat) to Friends of Happy Retreat, PO Box 1427, Charles Town, WV 25414.
Please include your name, address, phone number, and email address with your check and be sure to mail it by September 5th.
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George Washington first came to the Shenandoah Valley in 1748 as part of a survey team sent by Lord Fairfax. In 1750 he invested his first earnings as a surveyor in 550 acres of farmland on the South Fork of the Bullskin Run in present day Jefferson County. Over the next few years he increased his holdings to 2300 acres. Washington recognized the agricultural promise of the area, and convinced his family to invest in land here. His older half-brother Lawrence bought significant tracts of land in the area between 1748 and 1752. He died in 1752, and according to the stipulations in his will, Mount Vernon eventually was left to his brother George; the present Harewood-Cedar Lawn property to Samuel, the property upon which Blakeley-Claymont were eventually constructed to John Augustine and the property which would become the Happy Retreat estate to Charles, the youngest of the Washington brothers.
Happy Retreat was built by Charles Washington, General Washington's youngest brother, who was also raised at Ferry Farm in Fredericksburg, VA. Charles and his wife Mildred moved to Happy Retreat in 1780. When they moved to the home, it consisted of two one-and-one-half story structures, separated by either an open area or a breezeway. In 1786, Charles convinced the Virginia General Assembly to authorize the founding of a new town to be called Charlestown. He laid out 80 acres of his land to be sold in one half acre lots. He participated in laying out the town, and named many of the streets after members of his family. He also set aside four corner lots at the center of town to be given to the city once a new county was formed with Charles Town as the county seat. After Charles’ death in 1799, the house passed through several owners until bought by Judge Isaac Douglas in 1837, who built the striking center section that now connects the original wings, which he also extensively renovated. Happy Retreat, owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Gavin since 1968, consists of the manor house, two historic outbuildings, and 12+ acres of woods and lawns.
Harewood was the home of George’s brother Samuel, who moved to the house with his wife and children in the fall of 1770. The central section of Harewood and the kitchen wing are original to 1770. A north wing in the same style was added in 1960. Harewood’s parlor, which was the site of the 1794 wedding of Dolley Payne Todd and President-to-be James Madison, still boasts the original paint. At the time of his death, Samuel owned some 3,800 acres of land in the county and his descendants subsequently built several homes near Harewood. It is the only Washington home in Jefferson County owned by a member of the Washington family.
Cedar Lawn is perhaps the grandest of the estates built by Samuel’s descendents on portions of the original Harewood property. Samuel’s oldest son Thornton was about twenty-three when Samuel died. He had already built a large log and plank home in the area of Cedar Lawn, and named it Berry Hill in honor of his wife, Mildred Berry. The present mansion was built in 1825 by Thornton’s son, John Thornton Augustine Washington. John and his wife Elizabeth Conrad Bedinger had thirteen children, three of whom are buried beside their parents in the family plot at Harewood. Cedar Lawn was sold to John R. Flagg in 1855, and to Robert Earl in 1866. Today it is owned by the Funkhouser family, which has owned and restored several of the Washington homes in Jefferson County.
Beallair. The original portion of Beallair was built by Thomas Beall of Georgetown in the late 1700’s. Thomas Beall willed the property to his daughter Eliza and her husband, George Corbin Washington, one of George Washington’s grand-nephews. Their son, Lewis Washington, moved to the Beallair property in 1840 and added the tall, formal front portion of the house a few years later. Lewis played prominently in the events of the John Brown raid in 1859. On the night of Sunday, October 16th, John Brown sent a group of armed men to Beallair to kidnap Lewis. Taken hostage, he was transported in his own carriage to the firehouse at Harpers Ferry, where John Brown and his men laid siege, and where they were arrested two days later. Of particular interest to Brown were Lewis Washington’s heirlooms, which included a sword that had been given to George Washington by Frederick the Great. This sword was taken when Lewis was captured and given to John Brown, who wore it for the duration of the siege. Lewis Washington was remembered for his coolness and nonchalance as he left the firehouse. Governor Wise conferred the title of Colonel on Lewis Washington for his exemplary conduct during this incident.
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Washington Family Legacy Proposal Moves Forward. Several individuals representing the National Park Trust and Friends of Happy Retreat have recently developed a proposal for a federal study to determine the suitability and feasibility of establishing or adding to an existing national park to celebrate the Washington family legacy in Jefferson County. The executive summary of this proposal follows.
The Washington Family Legacy National Park
A proposal for federal legislation to authorize and fund a suitability and feasibility study
for a National Park unit in Jefferson County, WV.
April 5, 2008
It is a little known fact that General George Washington and his extended family played a significant role in the settlement of Jefferson County, West Virginia, and its surrounds. A coalition of Jefferson County government agencies and organizations has developed a proposal for federal legislation to study the suitability and feasibility of including four Washington Family properties located in Jefferson County within Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, or establishing a new Park unit, to celebrate the Washington family history in Jefferson County. Federal ownership would protect and preserve four of the most significant of the Washington family estates in the nation, while simultaneously stimulating economic development in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle through enhanced heritage tourism. The project sponsors have requested that members of the West Virginia congressional delegation introduce legislation in the 110th Congress authorizing the National Park Service to conduct the study, funded through a $250,000 FY09 appropriation.
The initiative to preserve the Washington family legacy has received overwhelming local support. The Jefferson County Commission and the four county municipalities have passed resolutions of support and many other organizations representing a cross section of Jefferson County have written letters of support as well. The coalition is continuing to seek similar letters of support from other local organizations, as well as endorsements from state and national organizations.
The county, where twelve Washington family homes were built between 1750 and the early 1800's, is home to unparalleled historic resources related to the Washington Family. The study would include four of the remaining eight properties: Happy Retreat, Claymont Court, Blakeley, and perhaps most significantly, the Bullskin Plantation, now known as Rock Hall, which was one of George Washington's first land purchases. The owners of these Washington family estates have indicated a willingness to participate in the study, and to sell their properties to establish a unit of the National Park Service that celebrates the Washington family history in Jefferson County. Four inter-connected Washington family estates for sale simultaneously represent a unique opportunity for preserving these national treasures. Although the legislative and National Park Service processes are often lengthy, the need to expedite them is great, since these Washington estates are currently threatened by potential development and deterioration.
It is likely that the ultimate preservation of these properties will necessitate a public/private partnership much like Philadelphia's Independence National Historic Park and the Gettysburg Battlefield Visitor Center. Therefore, the proponents of this initiative are seeking appropriate support from individuals, corporations, and foundations that value the Washington Family Legacy and wish to participate in its preservation and celebration through such a joint venture.
Given the historic connection to George Washington and his family, the potential to acquire these icons of the Washington Family Legacy is a once-in-a-century opportunity. Much like the vision held by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, we believe preservation of this Family Legacy merits recognition on a national level to ensure that it takes its rightful place in our nation’s heritage.
Contacts:
Kit McGinnis at the National Park Trust in Charles Town, WV at (304) 728-3506 or kit@parktrust.org
Curt Mason, President, Friends of Happy Retreat, (304) 724-7008 or cmasonwhf@aol.com
LINKS:
Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission he Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission operates under the auspices of the Jefferson County government and is charged with aiding the county government and its citizens in the protection and preservation of the county's historic resources. Five Landmarks Commission members are appointed by the Jefferson County Commission and serve three-year terms.
Jefferson County Historical Society The goal of the Society has changed little from its early days: “The Society has been organized for the purpose of collecting and preserving books, papers, records, writings, relics, etc., relating particularly to the History of Jefferson County and partly to that of West Virginia.” The Society publishes both a quarterly newsletter, The Guardian, and an annual report, The Magazine of the Jefferson County Historical Society, which typically contains several articles about local historical places, people, and events. The Society has also published a hard bound book describing many historic resources in the county, "Between the Shenandoah and Potomac: Historic Homes of Jefferson County, WV," and a DVD describing the history of the county from pre-colonial days to the present.
Jefferson County Museum The Jefferson County Museum contains artifacts from the early Native Americans up to World War II, including Civil War relics and uniforms, fine silver and china, photographs, antique dolls and toys, engravings and many other beautiful and historical items. The museum is located at 200 East Washington Street, Charles Town WV 25414 and can be reached at 304.725.8628 or email Curator@JeffCtyWVMuseum.org
The Washingtons of Jefferson County is an on-line chronological summary of events concerning the many members of the Washington family who settled in the county. It is based on an interview with John Augustine Washington conducted in 2001 and discusses many little-known facets of the Washington family history in the county.
Jefferson County Listener on the Web The Jefferson County Listener provides on-line information to help protect scenic, rural, historic & cultural resources in Jefferson County and examines contemporary issues concerning development, preservation and similar concerns affecting the quality of life in the Eastern Panhandle.
Berkeley County Historical Society The Berkeley County Historical Society is a focus group dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of history in Berkeley County West Virginia. Its mission is to develop the Belle Boyd House as an educational center depository for historical papers and materials; restore and protect the artifacts, documents, and manuscripts; write, research, publish and continue to develop architectural and genealogical materials for public access and catalog and document all artifacts and items donated or loaned to the Berkeley County Historical Society.
The Mosby Heritage Area The National Park Service-designated Mosby Heritage Area encompasses all, or a portion, of the counties of Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William, Warren, Clarke and Rappahannock in Virginia as well as a portion of Jefferson County, West Virginia. The Mosby Heritage Area Association creates awareness of this distinctive area, educates the public about its unique qualities, and promotes its preservation. Visitors resources such as brochures, driving tours, and audiotape tours of Civil War highlights are provided on the web site which assist the reader to explore the Mosby Heritage Area. In addition, a list of events celebrating the history of the area and a description of the MHAA's exciting and ambitious program focusing on Education & Awareness, Heritage Tourism and Advocacy for Preservation initiatives are provided.
Mount Vernon
http://www.mountvernon.org/
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
http://www.glenburniemuseum.org/
