Happy Retreat History
Octagon House at Happy Retreat
We have moved the Octagon House to its new location. We are not finished but we are getting there. It will be placed on a newly constructed foundation. We also have our newly restored Smoke House/Stone Kitchen/Enslaved Quarters open. ... read more
History at its Best: The Charles Washington Family
Last year, we engaged the firm Landmarks SGA to develop a master plan for both the Happy Retreat house and grounds (Landmarks SGA also managed the beautiful restoration of Charles Washington Hall in downtown Charles Town). The concept ... read more
History at its best: “Keeping it in the Family Series”
By Marjorie Gaestel, Happy Retreat Historian And the beat goes on, the heartbeat that is. The Friends of Happy Retreat are happy to introduce you to a new Happy Retreat ancestor, Jesse David Washington. Jesse David Washington, son of ... read more
The Ownership of Happy Retreat by the Hammond Family, 1800-1837
As detailed in previous issues of our newsletter, Charles and Mildred Washington were forced by poverty and ill health to deed their interest in Happy Retreat, consisting of the house, outbuildings and about 800 acres, to their son ... read more
Historic Letter from Frances Bassett Washington to Martha Washington (March 1793)
Introduction: HISTORY AT IT’S BEST FROM INSIDE HAPPY RETREAT, by Marjorie Gaestel Those that know me know that one of my favorite Happy Retreat subjects is the portrait of the lovely Frances Bassett Washington that hangs in one of our ... read more
Historic Sewing Machine Donated to Happy Retreat
Friends of Happy Retreat is appreciating a personal donation given to us by a descendant of Charles and Mildred Washington. This sewing machine belonged to Francis Washington, Jr. and his wife Lucy Walters Washington and their daughter read more
Another History at its Best
A little trivia about Happy Retreat. Hello from inside Happy Retreat on Her 240th Birthday My favorite thing to do as the historian of Happy Retreat is look behind Happy Retreat’s walls, under her floorboards, in closets, read long ... read more
Piecing the Past Together
An example of how photographic and documentary evidence has helped us understand a piece of Happy Retreat’s past came when the 1960s era screen porch was removed last fall. The porch foundation was masonry, with gravel infill. As the ... read more
Historic Structures Report Underway
The consulting firm of Maral Kalbian, LLC, of nearby Berryville, Virginia, has been hired to prepare a Historic Structure Report (HSR) on Happy Retreat. The National Park Service provides this description of a historic structure ... read more