Wappocomo (plantation)
Encyclopedia
Wappocomo is a late 18th-century Georgian
mansion overlooking the South Branch Potomac River north of Romney
, West Virginia
, United States
. Wappocomo lies along West Virginia Route 28 and the South Branch Valley Railroad
. The train station
for the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
heritage railroad is located on the South Branch Valley Railroad at Wappocomo.
s made in England
and used as ballast
in vessels loading tobacco
on the James River
. The bricks were transported to Wappocomo over the mountain ridges in oxcart
s. Casey named his plantation
"Wappocomo" after a Native American
word for the South Branch Potomac River, "Wappatomaka."
structure with a cellar and an attic
, conforming to the style prevalent in Virginia
at the time of its construction. The mansion's walls are 18 inches thick due to Wappocomo's use of large and heavy ballast bricks allowing for deep window
s. The wood sills and joists were all crafted at Wappocomo and the "rot nails" were also made at Wappocomo at the blacksmith shop.
The mansion's mantel
s, wide-grooved window casings with panels, the sturdy paneled doors, and all other interior woodwork were made by hand on location. Double inside chimney
s originally stood high above Wappocomo's steep roof
and every room contained a corner fireplace
. The fireplaces exhibit unusually tall mantel
s.
Each room at Wappocomo is exactly like the other, all being an identical size and shape. The four rooms on each of the original floors are large with high ceilings. A grand central stairway
in the mansion's central hall, with a handrail crafted of walnut
, extends to the third attic floor. A small portico
covers the front doorway which opens into the living room
.
Wappocomo's cellar rooms are almost entirely above ground and is constructed of great stone foundation blocks. The cellar contains a large open fireplace where most of the cooking was done.
While all other plantation homes on the South Branch Potomac River were built facing the river, Wappocomo faces toward the western flanks of South Branch Mountain
.
, hewed by hand, carried across the South Branch Potomac River, and lifted upon a scaffold with wheelbarrow
s.
The 1861 addition consists of four rooms with two rooms per story. The two rooms on the first story were used as a kitchen
and dining room
while the two rooms on the second story were made into a ballroom
. The addition's rooms are large and have 12 feet tall ceilings.
Wappocomo's addition exhibits deep double verandas extending across the mansion's front supported by columns extending from the ground level. A stairway connected the lower porch with the upper porch.
Wappocomo's ballroom in its 1861 stone addition was the scene of many parties. It is claimed that as many as 100 couples have danced on the ballroom's floor. It was the custom of guests who were visiting the mansion for the first time to write their names and the date on the mortar
between the stones, of which many are still legible.
Part of Wappocomo's original land located near the boundaries of the city of Romney was sold for residential building lots and for a cold storage plant for fruit stands along the South Branch Valley Railroad near the mansion.
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...
mansion overlooking the South Branch Potomac River north of Romney
Romney, West Virginia
Romney is a city in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,940 at the 2000 census, while the area covered by the city's ZIP code had a population of 5,873. It is a city with a very historic background dating back to the 18th century...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Wappocomo lies along West Virginia Route 28 and the South Branch Valley Railroad
South Branch Valley Railroad
The South Branch Valley Railroad consists of a 52.4 mile length of railroad in the U.S. state of West Virginia extending north along the South Branch Potomac River from Petersburg to the CSXT mainline at Green Spring adjacent to the Potomac River...
. The train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
for the Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad
The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad based in Romney, West Virginia.The railroad operates excursion trains over a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line that runs from Green Spring to Petersburg...
heritage railroad is located on the South Branch Valley Railroad at Wappocomo.
Construction and naming
Wappocomo was built by Nicholas Casey in 1774 with brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s made in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and used as ballast
Sailing ballast
Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of...
in vessels loading tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
on the James River
James River
The James River may refer to:Rivers in the United States and their namesakes* James River * James River , North Dakota, South Dakota* James River * James River * James River...
. The bricks were transported to Wappocomo over the mountain ridges in oxcart
Oxcart
Oxcart or ox cart can mean:*Bullock cart, a cart pulled by oxen*CIA codename for the program to produce the Lockheed A-12 spyplaneSee also:*Ox-Cart Library*Ox-Cart Man*Red River ox cart...
s. Casey named his plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
"Wappocomo" after a Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
word for the South Branch Potomac River, "Wappatomaka."
Main section
Wappocomo was originally constructed as a square two-story Georgian-styleGeorgian 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...
structure with a cellar and an attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
, conforming to the style prevalent in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
at the time of its construction. The mansion's walls are 18 inches thick due to Wappocomo's use of large and heavy ballast bricks allowing for deep window
Window
A window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
s. The wood sills and joists were all crafted at Wappocomo and the "rot nails" were also made at Wappocomo at the blacksmith shop.
The mansion's mantel
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
s, wide-grooved window casings with panels, the sturdy paneled doors, and all other interior woodwork were made by hand on location. Double inside chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s originally stood high above Wappocomo's steep roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
and every room contained a corner 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...
. The fireplaces exhibit unusually tall mantel
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
s.
Each room at Wappocomo is exactly like the other, all being an identical size and shape. The four rooms on each of the original floors are large with high ceilings. A grand central stairway
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
in the mansion's central hall, with a handrail crafted of walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
, extends to the third attic floor. A small portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
covers the front doorway which opens into the living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
.
Wappocomo's cellar rooms are almost entirely above ground and is constructed of great stone foundation blocks. The cellar contains a large open fireplace where most of the cooking was done.
While all other plantation homes on the South Branch Potomac River were built facing the river, Wappocomo faces toward the western flanks of South Branch Mountain
South Branch Mountain
South Branch Mountain is a mountain ridge that runs southwest to northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle of the U.S. state of West Virginia, rising to its greatest elevation of 3,028 feet above sea-level in the Nathaniel Mountain Wildlife Management Area...
.
1861 stone addition
In 1861, a stone addition was made to the original 1774 Georgian structure. The addition's construction was under the supervision of a man with the surname of Ferrybe. The stone was quarried from Mill Creek MountainMill Creek Mountain
Mill Creek Mountain is a continuous mountain ridge that runs northeast through Hampshire and Hardy counties in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Rising to its greatest elevation of 2,648 feet above sea-level at High Knob, Mill Creek is a folded mountain ridge,...
, hewed by hand, carried across the South Branch Potomac River, and lifted upon a scaffold with wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
s.
The 1861 addition consists of four rooms with two rooms per story. The two rooms on the first story were used as a kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
and dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
while the two rooms on the second story were made into a ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
. The addition's rooms are large and have 12 feet tall ceilings.
Wappocomo's addition exhibits deep double verandas extending across the mansion's front supported by columns extending from the ground level. A stairway connected the lower porch with the upper porch.
History
Wappocomo was owned by Colonel Isaac Parsons until his death on 24 April 1862. It was willed to his wife Susan Blue Parsons for the purpose of educating their children. Susan Blue Parsons died on 2 October 1889, and on 20 December 1890, Wappocomo was sold to Colonel Parsons' son Garrett W. Parsons for the sum of $16,885.72. The other Parsons heirs were paid their shares of the purchase. After the death of Garrett W. Parsons, Wappocomo was inherited by his son Charles Heber Parsons I and was subsequently inherited by Charles Heber Parsons II.Wappocomo's ballroom in its 1861 stone addition was the scene of many parties. It is claimed that as many as 100 couples have danced on the ballroom's floor. It was the custom of guests who were visiting the mansion for the first time to write their names and the date on the mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
between the stones, of which many are still legible.
Part of Wappocomo's original land located near the boundaries of the city of Romney was sold for residential building lots and for a cold storage plant for fruit stands along the South Branch Valley Railroad near the mansion.