Hook Tavern
Encyclopedia
Hook Tavern is a late 18th-century tavern
along the Northwestern Turnpike
(U.S. Route 50
) east of Capon Bridge
in Hampshire County
, West Virginia
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 29, 2011.
in the Mill Branch
valley, Hook Tavern was constructed along the Northwestern Turnpike between the 1790 and 1809 on property belonging to early Hampshire County settler Peter Mauzy.
In 1840, the property was purchased by the Hook family who began operating the building as a tavern. Samuel Hook and John B. Sherrard obtained a hotel license on May 26, 1848 to operate the tavern as a fully functioning hotel. On June 1, 1862, Hook paid $10 for another hotel keeper's license.
During the American Civil War
, on February 3, 1862, J. A. Hunter of the Confederate States Army
stated that because of severe weather, it was necessary for the Confederates to commandeer Samuel Hook's tavern and wood for the comfort of 80 sick men in his charge.
Renovations in July 1956 revealed the name and date "William C. Black, May 7, 1845" on a plaster wall. Other names and remarks discovered included: "I can throw any mule driver on the road, John New" and "Too much snuff
, McCauley" dated May 7, 1853.
The Hook family and its descendants owned the tavern and its surrounding property from 1840 until 1987 when it was purchased by real estate developer Edward Noble of Atlanta
, Georgia
. In 2009, the tavern and its adjacent three acres were listed on the market for sale.
-shaped structure with one leg parallel to U.S. Route 50 and the other parallel to Smokey Hollow Road (County Route 6). Hook Tavern is a clapboard
-covered, two-story structure with floors on three varying heights indicating that it was built in several phases. The tavern's front face along U.S. Route 50 is graced with a two-story porch. Its oldest constructed section contains a large fireplace
with printles upon which a crane swung pots over the fire. Hook Tavern contains approximately 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) consisting of ten rooms and two bathrooms.
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
along the Northwestern Turnpike
Northwestern Turnpike
The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia , important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 1830s. In modern times, west of Winchester, Virginia, U.S...
(U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
) east of Capon Bridge
Capon Bridge, West Virginia
Capon Bridge is a town located in eastern Hampshire County, West Virginia along the Northwestern Turnpike , approximately twenty miles west of Winchester, Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,178, 200 of which live within the town limits. Originally known as Glencoe, Capon...
in Hampshire County
Hampshire County, West Virginia
Hampshire County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 23,964. Its county seat is Romney, West Virginia's oldest town . Hampshire County was created by the Virginia General Assembly on December 13, 1753, from parts of Frederick and Augusta counties ...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It was listed 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...
on April 29, 2011.
History
Located near the eastern base of Bear Garden MountainBear Garden Mountain
Bear Garden Mountain is a forested mountain ridge of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians in Hampshire County, West Virginia and Frederick County, Virginia.- Geography :...
in the Mill Branch
Mill Branch (Cacapon River)
Mill Branch is a tributary stream of the Cacapon River, belonging to the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. The stream is located in eastern Hampshire County in West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.-Headwaters and course:...
valley, Hook Tavern was constructed along the Northwestern Turnpike between the 1790 and 1809 on property belonging to early Hampshire County settler Peter Mauzy.
In 1840, the property was purchased by the Hook family who began operating the building as a tavern. Samuel Hook and John B. Sherrard obtained a hotel license on May 26, 1848 to operate the tavern as a fully functioning hotel. On June 1, 1862, Hook paid $10 for another hotel keeper's license.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, on February 3, 1862, J. A. Hunter of the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
stated that because of severe weather, it was necessary for the Confederates to commandeer Samuel Hook's tavern and wood for the comfort of 80 sick men in his charge.
Renovations in July 1956 revealed the name and date "William C. Black, May 7, 1845" on a plaster wall. Other names and remarks discovered included: "I can throw any mule driver on the road, John New" and "Too much snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
, McCauley" dated May 7, 1853.
The Hook family and its descendants owned the tavern and its surrounding property from 1840 until 1987 when it was purchased by real estate developer Edward Noble of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. In 2009, the tavern and its adjacent three acres were listed on the market for sale.
Architecture
Hook Tavern is an ellEll (architecture)
In architecture, an ell is a wing of a building that lies perpendicular to the length of the main portion.In connected farm architecture, the ell is often extended to attach the main house to another building, usually a barn. It takes its name from the shape of the letter L.-External links:*...
-shaped structure with one leg parallel to U.S. Route 50 and the other parallel to Smokey Hollow Road (County Route 6). Hook Tavern is a clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
-covered, two-story structure with floors on three varying heights indicating that it was built in several phases. The tavern's front face along U.S. Route 50 is graced with a two-story porch. Its oldest constructed section contains a large fireplace
Fireplace
A fireplace is an architectural structure to contain a fire for heating and, especially historically, for cooking. A fire is contained in a firebox or firepit; a chimney or other flue allows gas and particulate exhaust to escape...
with printles upon which a crane swung pots over the fire. Hook Tavern contains approximately 4000 square feet (371.6 m²) consisting of ten rooms and two bathrooms.
See also
- List of historic sites in Hampshire County, West Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampshire County, West VirginiaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Hampshire County, West VirginiaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Hampshire County, West Virginia.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States...