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Aspen Hall (Martinsburg, West Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Aspen Hall, also known as the Edward Beeson House, was built beginning in 1771 as a stone house in the Georgian
style in what would become Martinsburg, West Virginia
. The first portion of the house was a 20 by 20 foot "fortified stone home", 2½ stories tall., in coursed rubble limestone built in 1745 by Edward Beeson I. It is the oldest house in Martinsburg.
The Georgian block of the house was built by Edward Beeson II, a wealthy Quaker farmer and miller. Beeson died in 1817 and the house was sold to Mathew Ranson of Jefferson County
in 1821, who then sold it to Union Colonel John W. Stewart in 1850. The house remained in the Stewart family until 1926.
Aspen Hall is notable for its outstanding entrance hall, measuring 13 feet (4 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) deep. The original interior was laid out in a side hall arrangement, two rooms deep. The principal interior rooms are paneled. About 1900 the house was altered to make what had been the rear entrance the front, and Victorian details were added.
The property includes the blockhouse of Mendenhall's Fort, built about 1755 by John Mendenhall, brother of Edward Beeson I's widow. There was a wooden stockade that extended from the blockhouse to surround Mendenhall's and Beeson's homes. Mendenhall's home was also built in 1755, making it the second oldest house in Martinsburg. The fort was built to defend the area against Native American attack during the French and Indian War
. The fortification was noted by George Washington
in a communication to Colonel William Fairfax
in 1757. Col. Washington garrisoned troops at Mendenhall's several times. House of Burgesses candidate Washington attended a wedding at "Mendenhall's Mill" in 1761.
Aspen Hall is presently operated as an inn. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980, and is included in the Boyd Avenue Historic District
.
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style in what would become Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
. The first portion of the house was a 20 by 20 foot "fortified stone home", 2½ stories tall., in coursed rubble limestone built in 1745 by Edward Beeson I. It is the oldest house in Martinsburg.
The Georgian block of the house was built by Edward Beeson II, a wealthy Quaker farmer and miller. Beeson died in 1817 and the house was sold to Mathew Ranson of Jefferson County
Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 53,498. Its county seat is Charles Town...
in 1821, who then sold it to Union Colonel John W. Stewart in 1850. The house remained in the Stewart family until 1926.
Aspen Hall is notable for its outstanding entrance hall, measuring 13 feet (4 m) wide and 36 feet (11 m) deep. The original interior was laid out in a side hall arrangement, two rooms deep. The principal interior rooms are paneled. About 1900 the house was altered to make what had been the rear entrance the front, and Victorian details were added.
The property includes the blockhouse of Mendenhall's Fort, built about 1755 by John Mendenhall, brother of Edward Beeson I's widow. There was a wooden stockade that extended from the blockhouse to surround Mendenhall's and Beeson's homes. Mendenhall's home was also built in 1755, making it the second oldest house in Martinsburg. The fort was built to defend the area against Native American attack during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
. The fortification was noted by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in a communication to Colonel William Fairfax
William Fairfax
William Fairfax was a political appointee of the English Crown and a politician: he was Collector of Customs in Barbados, and Chief Justice and governor of the Bahamas; he served as Customs agent in Marblehead, Massachusetts before being reassigned to the Virginia colony. There he was elected to...
in 1757. Col. Washington garrisoned troops at Mendenhall's several times. House of Burgesses candidate Washington attended a wedding at "Mendenhall's Mill" in 1761.
Aspen Hall is presently operated as an inn. The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980, and is included in the Boyd Avenue Historic District
Boyd Avenue Historic District
The Boyd Avenue Historic District is a residential district comprising 80 houses in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The district includes the circa 1776 Aspen Hall and the associated Mendenhall's Fort of circa 1756. The district extends along Boyd Avenue from West Race Street to Aspen Hall...
.