Washington Bottom Farm
Encyclopedia
Washington Bottom Farm is a 19th century Greek Revival
plantation
house and farm on a plateau
overlooking the South Branch Potomac River north of Romney
, West Virginia
, United States
. The populated area adjacent to Washington Bottom Farm is known as Ridgedale
. The farm is connected to West Virginia Route 28 via Washington Road (West Virginia Secondary Route 28/3).
Washington Bottom Farm, constructed in 1835, was the residence of gentleman farmer
George William Washington, a descendant of a brother of George Washington
. The farm is currently the private residence of Robert and Loretta Brinker.
structure. The three-story brick
house stands on a brick foundation an has an L-shaped plan. The house has a hip roof
with a central square cupola
and a widow's walk
. The cupola has a window on each side with a 4 over 4 double-hung sash
, and brackets
under the roof edge. On the roof
are four chimney
s, one at each corner with a slightly flared edge of corbel
s at the top, and a recessed panel in the center face.
The front, or south elevation, has a center hipped wooden porch
with steps. The porch has a spindled handrail
, wooden posts and deck, and small brackets under the eave
. The main entrance is centered with a single transom
and has a Greek Revival feature of a wide trim piece over the doorway. The house has five bays on each floor. The windows on the house are all double-hung sash except for the third floor which has small lozenge windows of three vertical lights in the frieze
section. With stone sills and brick lintels
. The first floor windows are 6/9 sash and reach to the floor in the front two rooms. The second floor windows are 6/6 sash. There is damage to the brick at the southwest corner of the home around the front window.
The residence's west elevation is divided into two sections with the front portion of the house and the rear ell
. Each section has three bays on each floor with 6/6 sash windows on the first and second floor and lozenge windows on third floor of the front section. The rear ell is slightly set back from the facade and has a shed porch on the first floor with wooden posts. A lower level door leads into a basement
room, and the first floor door leads into the kitchen
. As of 2001, the basement windows were covered with plywood
.
The north side of the ell is a blank brick wall with a single lower level entrance that is
presently covered. The north side of the house has two 6/6 sash windows.
The east façade
of the house has the front portion to the left with a small center porch
which matches the details on the front porch with wooden posts and a spindled handrail. There are small brackets under the eave and lattice
partially covers the area under the porch. The porch is accessed from the two 6/9 sash windows form the front room, which reach to the floor. Above these openings are two 6/9 sash windows and lozenge windows at the third floor or attic
level. The right side of the house is recessed back for the rear ell which has a two-story porch. The porch was enclosed in the 1940s with glass windows. The wooden floor
and porch stairs remain in their original condition.
The interior of the residence has good integrity with original wooden floors, wooden trim, a
wide center hall with curved stairs, high ceiling
s, and six panel doors, some of which have
graining. The trim on the second floor is simpler with narrow closet
s in the bedroom
s having been added after 1939. The doorways on this floor have transoms opening into the hallway. A bathroom was added to the end of the porch and over the front hallway. The attic area has lower ceilings which angle and the low lozenge windows and rough wooden floor. A narrow dog-leg stairway leads to the cupola and a door opens out to the widow's walk. A dog-leg stairway also connects to two floors of the rear porch and has been blocked to the lower level.
, as can many of the large tracts in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
. It was surveyed around 1749 by George Washington. The farm was first settled in 1725 by Peter Peters. On the parcel was located Fort Williams, established as a settler's fort in 1756 by Richard Williams. Williams and his family were living on the plantation of his father-in-law Peter Peters on the South Branch Potomac River in 1755 at the time of a Native American
attack. Williams built his fort, Fort Williams, after he arrived home from Native American captivity, in the spring of 1756. From documentation, it appears to have been a settlers fort, although militia
were stationed there at times during the course of the French and Indian War
. In the spring of 1758, troops were
temporarily stationed at the fort, probably under the order of Captain Thomas Wagoner, of the
Virginia Regiment
who was authorized by General George Washington to man any settler forts
which were in need of support. No archaeological evidence has been discovered for the fort which is documented by deeds.
George Washington, and was born near Pohick Church
in Fairfax County
, Virginia
. He was well-educated and highly respected. He married Sarah (Sally) A. Wright (1811–1886) on 19 February 1830. She was the daughter of John Wright and his wife Rebecca Lockhart of Loudoun County
, Virginia and the granddaughter of Major Robert Lockhart, a native of Lancaster County
, Pennsylvania
where he served on the Committee of Public Safety in the American Revolution
and was also a major in the county militia. Sarah Wright was born at "Wheatland" near Leesburg
on 22 April 1811. She was educated at the Moravian Academy
in Bethlehem
, Pennsylvania. Major Robert Lockhart, her grandfather, devised Ridgedale and 700 acres (2.8 km²) to Sarah, her brother, and sister in 1817. This land came into the ownership of George and Sarah after their marriage.
around 1832 where they lived until the spacious Greek Revival main house was completed. As their family and resources grew, they added to the farm and constructed the main house in 1835. They had a number of children: Edward, John W., Rebecca, Esther (also known as Etta and Ettie), John, Betty, George, Robert, and Sallie. Son John W. died when less than two years old, and the second John died during the American Civil War
, as did brother Edward.
George W. Washington's agricultural practices included raising beef cattle
, sheep, and pigs
. He owned many horses, including two registered Percheron
mare
s. Most of his horses were purchased in England
and brought to the farm. He grew corn
, hay
, soybeans, oat
s, wheat
, and flax
. He sold cured
and fresh pork
, along with corn, wool
, and vegetable
s for farm income. The earliest standing farm outbuilding was constructed around 1850. If earlier log barns existed, their sites are unknown. A newspaper
account from 1907 tells of the loss by fire of an "immense basement barn
." It is the following year that new silo
s were added to two other existing barns.
Washington kept a daily journal
which provides a few glimpses into life on the farm. He owned approximately 300 sheep, often bought and sold cattle
and horses, and owned a team of oxen and mule
s. He tells of chopping ice
from the river in January 1868 and storing it in the icehouse. The bottom land behind the house, which totaled over 200 acre (0.809372 km²), was planted in hay and corn. The field in front of the house was called "the little meadow." Corn is still grown today in the bottom land, and timothy-grass
is still grown and harvested in the meadow
.
Washington speaks of the ridge, known as Middle Ridge (geologically
a continuation of Mill Creek Mountain
), which was used to pasture
his cattle and sheep. This section is no longer part of the farm. Corn was also grown and harvested from a
high water island
in the South Branch Potomac River known simply as "the island." It totals approximately 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), and although still reachable by equipment, it is no longer farmed. Washington also kept bull
s on a feed lot, near the barn area. This lot was used for feeding the dairy cattle
into the 1950s by the Brinker family.
William Bias, one of the Washington family's slaves, and his wife Ann, took the surname Washington and were conveyed by Susan Blue Parsons 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) from Wappocomo
plantation on 7 November 1874. William and Ann Washington's home, known as Washington Place
, was one of the first residences in Hampshire County built by freed slaves. William Washington later acquired other properties on the hills north of Romney along what is now West Virginia Route 28 and became the first African-American land developer in the state of West Virginia
. One of his subdivisions is the "Blacks Hill" neighborhood of Romney, adjacent to the Washington Place homestead.
Ridgedale was the scene of activity during the American Civil War. Companies
of cavalry
camped in the yard, which they dubbed "Camp Washington." The Washington family hid Confederate
soldier
s in the house. Early in Summer 1861, Confederate
General
Turner Ashby
and his command occupied a position on the South Branch Potomac River "upon the estate of Col. George Washington." According to Washington family tradition, General Ashby had his headquarters at or near Ridgedale. As a compliment to George W. Washington, Ashby named his headquarters "Camp Washington." His brother, Captain Richard Ashby, was carried on a litter
to the Washington home at Ridgedale after he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Kelley's Island on 28 June 1861. Another account places Captain Ashby's mortal wounding by a bayonet
thrust at a battle with Union
forces at Dans Run
along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
on 26 June 1861. He was placed in a room associated with Ridgedale's ballroom
and died there after about a week. He was cared for until he died on 3 July 1861. At his request, he was supposedly buried under an oak tree
at the Indian Mound Cemetery
in Romney
. After the war, he was reinterred with his brother Turner Ashby
at Stonewall Cemetery in Winchester
, Virginia in 1866. Their grave is marked "The Brothers Ashby."
George W. Washington kept a journal of the happenings of this period, which has preserved valuable information concerning the period of the American Civil War in Hampshire County.
Washington's sons, Edward and John, both joined the Hampshire Guards before the American Civil War began, and left for Harpers Ferry
in May 1861. John was killed in the Battle of Cold Harbor
the following year. His son Edward was wounded in the Battle of Antietam
and acted as a courier
for Generals Stonewall Jackson
and Jubal Anderson Early
and later took part in the capture of General George Crook
and Benjamin Franklin Kelley
when he acted as a guide for the McNeill's Rangers
. Two of Edward's sisters, Rebecca and Etta, were sent from Hampshire County to carry a message to General Jackson, then stationed near Winchester, that the Union forces were in possession of Romney. They rode horseback for their entire journey and carried the message under the saddle
.
Washington was an early supporter of the Southern Methodists
in Hampshire County, of which he alludes to in his 1868 journal. He was one of the trustees who purchased land in 1851 in the town of Springfield
in order to construct a church building for the Methodist Episcopal Church South, after Methodists split into northern and southern factions in 1846. Washington states that he and his family had not been able to attend the Springfield Methodist Church while it was in the process of being repaired after the American Civil War.
was proved four days later. His wife Sally died in 1886. They are buried at Indian Mound Cemetery in Lot 78 in Romney. The farm continued in son Robert's hands when he purchased it in January 1879 from the other heirs and devisees of his father. Those signing the conveyance
were the following: his mother Sally; Edward Washington and his wife Susan; James B. Rees and wife Rebecca (Washington); Ettie Washington; George W. Washington and wife Ann E.; John J. Inskeep and wife Bettie Washington; and Sallie G. Washington. Robert retained ownership of the farm until his death in 1930. Approximately 500 acres (2 km²) of the farm were sold in 1936 by Washington's heirs to the Brinker brothers of Cumberland
, Maryland
.
built a line near the farm in 1883. This line served the communities from Green Spring, West Virginia
to Petersburg
. The railroad had a siding on the farm to drop supplies as needed, such as fencing
and other materials. This was in place until 1930. The South Branch Valley Railroad
continues to operate on the old Baltimore and Ohio line near Washington Bottom Farm.
barn and began to operate a dairy business in 1940. In 1943, Fred's son Charles W. and wife Dorothy and two children moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Springfield, West Virginia
, to help operate the dairy farm. In 1950, they purchased a half interest, and after the accidental farm-related death of Fred Brinker, they acquired the remaining interest in the farm from family members. Charles and Dorothy Brinker lived at the farm for fifty years and operated the dairy with the help of their four children: Fred, Maryann, Robert, and Terry.
Washington Bottom Farm is currently owned by Robert C. Brinker and his wife, Loretta. With their sons, Matthew and Michael, the farm was expanded in fall 2001, and the dairy was returned to operation. A milking parlor was installed in the original horse barn to handle 400 head of Holstein cattle. The main crops harvested are corn and hay to support the herd. Although the farm once had 700 acres (2.8 km²), it now has a total of 251.6 acres (1 km²) associated with the early
residence and farm buildings.
Ridgedale has undergone an extensive restoration project funded from both the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the United States Department of the Interior
through the National Park Service
.
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
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...
house and farm on a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
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...
. The populated area adjacent to Washington Bottom Farm is known as Ridgedale
Ridgedale, Hampshire County, West Virginia
Ridgedale is an unincorporated area in Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located within a horsehoe bend in the South Branch Potomac River between the communities of Blues Beach and Wappocomo. Ridgedale is named for the recently restored 1835 plantation built by George W....
. The farm is connected to West Virginia Route 28 via Washington Road (West Virginia Secondary Route 28/3).
Washington Bottom Farm, constructed in 1835, was the residence of gentleman farmer
Gentleman's farm
A gentleman's farm is an extremely small or non-operative farm. They are generally small acreages that are not used to produce large amounts of food, grain, or livestock for major markets. Gentleman's farms are also used as hobby farms, for horse rearing, or as bed and breakfast establishments...
George William Washington, a descendant of a brother of 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...
. The farm is currently the private residence of Robert and Loretta Brinker.
Architecture
The main residence at Washington Bottom Farm is a high-style Greek RevivalGreek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
structure. The three-story brick
Brick
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:...
house stands on a brick foundation an has an L-shaped plan. The house has a hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
with a central square cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
and a widow's walk
Widow's walk
A widow's walk also known as a "widow's watch" is a railed rooftop platform often with a small enclosed cupola frequently found on 19th century North American houses. A popular romantic myth holds that the platform was used to observe vessels at sea...
. The cupola has a window on each side with a 4 over 4 double-hung sash
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
, and brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
under the roof edge. On the 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....
are four 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, one at each corner with a slightly flared edge of corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s at the top, and a recessed panel in the center face.
The front, or south elevation, has a center hipped wooden porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
with steps. The porch has a spindled handrail
Handrail
A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by the hand so as to provide stability or support. Handrails are commonly used while ascending or descending stairways and escalators in order to prevent injurious falls. Other applications include bathroom handrails—which help to prevent falls on...
, wooden posts and deck, and small brackets under the eave
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
. The main entrance is centered with a single transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
and has a Greek Revival feature of a wide trim piece over the doorway. The house has five bays on each floor. The windows on the house are all double-hung sash except for the third floor which has small lozenge windows of three vertical lights in the frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
section. With stone sills and brick lintels
Lintel (architecture)
A lintel can be a load-bearing building component, a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. It is often found over portals, doors, and windows.-Structural uses:...
. The first floor windows are 6/9 sash and reach to the floor in the front two rooms. The second floor windows are 6/6 sash. There is damage to the brick at the southwest corner of the home around the front window.
The residence's west elevation is divided into two sections with the front portion of the house and the rear ell
Ell (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:*...
. Each section has three bays on each floor with 6/6 sash windows on the first and second floor and lozenge windows on third floor of the front section. The rear ell is slightly set back from the facade and has a shed porch on the first floor with wooden posts. A lower level door leads into a basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
room, and the first floor door leads into the 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...
. As of 2001, the basement windows were covered with plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
.
The north side of the ell is a blank brick wall with a single lower level entrance that is
presently covered. The north side of the house has two 6/6 sash windows.
The east façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
of the house has the front portion to the left with a small center porch
which matches the details on the front porch with wooden posts and a spindled handrail. There are small brackets under the eave and lattice
Latticework
Latticework is a framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically wood or metal. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a network...
partially covers the area under the porch. The porch is accessed from the two 6/9 sash windows form the front room, which reach to the floor. Above these openings are two 6/9 sash windows and lozenge windows at the third floor or 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...
level. The right side of the house is recessed back for the rear ell which has a two-story porch. The porch was enclosed in the 1940s with glass windows. The wooden floor
Wood flooring
Wood flooring is any product manufactured from timber that is designed for use as flooring, either structural or aesthetic. Bamboo flooring is often considered a wood floor, although it is made from a grass rather than a timber....
and porch stairs remain in their original condition.
The interior of the residence has good integrity with original wooden floors, wooden trim, a
wide center hall with curved stairs, high ceiling
Ceiling
A ceiling is an overhead interior surface that covers the upper limit of a room. It is generally not a structural element, but a finished surface concealing the underside of the floor or roof structure above....
s, and six panel doors, some of which have
graining. The trim on the second floor is simpler with narrow closet
Closet
A closet is a small and enclosed space, a cabinet, or a cupboard in a house or building used for general storage or hanging clothes. A closet for food storage is usually referred to as a pantry...
s in the bedroom
Bedroom
A bedroom is a private room where people usually sleep for the night or relax during the day.About one third of our lives are spent sleeping and most of the time we are asleep, we are sleeping in a bedroom. To be considered a bedroom the room needs to have bed. Bedrooms can range from really simple...
s having been added after 1939. The doorways on this floor have transoms opening into the hallway. A bathroom was added to the end of the porch and over the front hallway. The attic area has lower ceilings which angle and the low lozenge windows and rough wooden floor. A narrow dog-leg stairway leads to the cupola and a door opens out to the widow's walk. A dog-leg stairway also connects to two floors of the rear porch and has been blocked to the lower level.
Fort Williams
The land on which Washington Bottom Farm is located can be traced back to Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
, as can many of the large tracts in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...
. It was surveyed around 1749 by George Washington. The farm was first settled in 1725 by Peter Peters. On the parcel was located Fort Williams, established as a settler's fort in 1756 by Richard Williams. Williams and his family were living on the plantation of his father-in-law Peter Peters on the South Branch Potomac River in 1755 at the time of 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...
attack. Williams built his fort, Fort Williams, after he arrived home from Native American captivity, in the spring of 1756. From documentation, it appears to have been a settlers fort, although militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
were stationed there at times during the course of 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...
. In the spring of 1758, troops were
temporarily stationed at the fort, probably under the order of Captain Thomas Wagoner, of the
Virginia Regiment
Virginia Regiment
The Virginia Regiment was formed in 1754 by Virginia's Royal Governor Robert Dinwiddie, initially as an all volunteer militia corps, and he promoted George Washington, the future first president of the United States of America, to its command upon the death of Colonel Joshua Fry...
who was authorized by General George Washington to man any settler forts
which were in need of support. No archaeological evidence has been discovered for the fort which is documented by deeds.
George W. Washington
George W. Washington (1809–1876) was the son of Edward Washington, a descendant of a brother of President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George Washington, and was born near Pohick Church
Pohick Church
Pohick Church is an Episcopal church in the community of Pohick near Lorton in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.-History:Originally founded around 1695 as Occoquan Church, in the Anglican Truro Parish of Virginia, it was later renamed Pohick Church in 1732 after relocating near Pohick Creek,...
in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, 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...
. He was well-educated and highly respected. He married Sarah (Sally) A. Wright (1811–1886) on 19 February 1830. She was the daughter of John Wright and his wife Rebecca Lockhart of Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, Virginia and the granddaughter of Major Robert Lockhart, a native of Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
where he served on the Committee of Public Safety in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
and was also a major in the county militia. Sarah Wright was born at "Wheatland" near Leesburg
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
on 22 April 1811. She was educated at the Moravian Academy
Moravian Academy
Moravian Academy, whose headmaster is George King, is a prekindergarten through 12th grade coeducational college preparatory school located in historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the United States...
in Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, Pennsylvania. Major Robert Lockhart, her grandfather, devised Ridgedale and 700 acres (2.8 km²) to Sarah, her brother, and sister in 1817. This land came into the ownership of George and Sarah after their marriage.
Establishment of Ridgedale
The couple moved to the Ridgedale and constructed the single pen log cabinLog cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
around 1832 where they lived until the spacious Greek Revival main house was completed. As their family and resources grew, they added to the farm and constructed the main house in 1835. They had a number of children: Edward, John W., Rebecca, Esther (also known as Etta and Ettie), John, Betty, George, Robert, and Sallie. Son John W. died when less than two years old, and the second John died 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...
, as did brother Edward.
George W. Washington's agricultural practices included raising beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
, sheep, and pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
. He owned many horses, including two registered Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
mare
Mare
Female horses are called mares.Mare is the Latin word for "sea".The word may also refer to:-People:* Ahmed Marzooq, also known as Mare, a footballer and Secretary General of Maldives Olympic Committee* Mare Winningham, American actress and singer...
s. Most of his horses were purchased 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 brought to the farm. He grew corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
, soybeans, oat
Oat
The common oat is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name . While oats are suitable for human consumption as oatmeal and rolled oats, one of the most common uses is as livestock feed...
s, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
. He sold cured
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
and fresh pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
, along with corn, wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
, and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s for farm income. The earliest standing farm outbuilding was constructed around 1850. If earlier log barns existed, their sites are unknown. A newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
account from 1907 tells of the loss by fire of an "immense basement barn
Bank barn
A bank barn or banked barn is a style of barn noted for its accessibility, at ground level, on two separate levels. Often built into the side of a hill, or bank, both the upper and the lower floors area could be accessed from ground level, one area at the top of the hill and the other at the bottom...
." It is the following year that new silo
Silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
s were added to two other existing barns.
Washington kept a daily journal
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
which provides a few glimpses into life on the farm. He owned approximately 300 sheep, often bought and sold cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and horses, and owned a team of oxen and mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s. He tells of chopping ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
from the river in January 1868 and storing it in the icehouse. The bottom land behind the house, which totaled over 200 acre (0.809372 km²), was planted in hay and corn. The field in front of the house was called "the little meadow." Corn is still grown today in the bottom land, and timothy-grass
Timothy-grass
Timothy-grass , is an abundant perennial grass native to most of Europe except for the Mediterranean region. It grows to 50–150 cm tall, with leaves up to 45 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flowerhead is 7–15 cm long and 8–10 mm broad, with densely packed spikelets...
is still grown and harvested in the meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
.
Washington speaks of the ridge, known as Middle Ridge (geologically
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
a continuation of Mill Creek Mountain
Mill 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,...
), which was used to pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
his cattle and sheep. This section is no longer part of the farm. Corn was also grown and harvested from a
high water island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
in the South Branch Potomac River known simply as "the island." It totals approximately 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), and although still reachable by equipment, it is no longer farmed. Washington also kept bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
s on a feed lot, near the barn area. This lot was used for feeding the dairy cattle
Dairy cattle
Dairy cattle are cattle cows bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cows generally are of the species Bos taurus....
into the 1950s by the Brinker family.
Slavery
George W. Washington and his family owned 16 slaves in 1850, but only one is listed on the 1860 census. Washington had inherited seven slaves in his father Edward's will dated 8 April 1813: Jesse, Duke, Reuben, Ella, Letty Seals, Jemima Seals, and Alfred.William Bias, one of the Washington family's slaves, and his wife Ann, took the surname Washington and were conveyed by Susan Blue Parsons 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) from Wappocomo
Wappocomo (plantation)
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...
plantation on 7 November 1874. William and Ann Washington's home, known as Washington Place
Washington Place (West Virginia)
Washington Place is one of the first homes built by freed slaves after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 in Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States...
, was one of the first residences in Hampshire County built by freed slaves. William Washington later acquired other properties on the hills north of Romney along what is now West Virginia Route 28 and became the first African-American land developer in the state of 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...
. One of his subdivisions is the "Blacks Hill" neighborhood of Romney, adjacent to the Washington Place homestead.
"Camp Washington"
Ridgedale was the scene of activity during the American Civil War. Companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
camped in the yard, which they dubbed "Camp Washington." The Washington family hid Confederate
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...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s in the house. Early in Summer 1861, Confederate
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...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby, Jr. was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. He had achieved prominence as Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's cavalry commander, in the grade of colonel, in the Shenandoah Valley before he was killed in battle in 1862...
and his command occupied a position on the South Branch Potomac River "upon the estate of Col. George Washington." According to Washington family tradition, General Ashby had his headquarters at or near Ridgedale. As a compliment to George W. Washington, Ashby named his headquarters "Camp Washington." His brother, Captain Richard Ashby, was carried on a litter
Litter
Litter consists of waste products such as containers, papers, wrappers or faeces which have been disposed of without consent. Litter can also be used as a verb...
to the Washington home at Ridgedale after he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Kelley's Island on 28 June 1861. Another account places Captain Ashby's mortal wounding by a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
thrust at a battle with Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
forces at Dans Run
Dans Run, West Virginia
Dans Run is an unincorporated community in Mineral County, West Virginia. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Dans Run is located along the former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at the confluence of Dans Run and the North Branch Potomac River....
along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
on 26 June 1861. He was placed in a room associated with Ridgedale's 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...
and died there after about a week. He was cared for until he died on 3 July 1861. At his request, he was supposedly buried under an oak tree
Oak Tree
Oak Tree may refer to:*Oak, the tree*Oak Tree, County Durham, a village in County Durham, England*The Oaktree Foundation, a youth-run aid and development agency*Oak Tree National, golf club in Edmond, Oklahoma...
at the Indian Mound Cemetery
Indian Mound Cemetery
Indian Mound Cemetery is a cemetery located along the Northwestern Turnpike on a promontory of the "Yellow Banks" overlooking the South Branch Potomac River and Mill Creek Mountain in Romney, West Virginia, United States. The cemetery is centered around a Hopewellian mound, known as the Romney...
in 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...
. After the war, he was reinterred with his brother Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby
Turner Ashby, Jr. was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. He had achieved prominence as Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's cavalry commander, in the grade of colonel, in the Shenandoah Valley before he was killed in battle in 1862...
at Stonewall Cemetery in Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, Virginia in 1866. Their grave is marked "The Brothers Ashby."
George W. Washington kept a journal of the happenings of this period, which has preserved valuable information concerning the period of the American Civil War in Hampshire County.
Washington's sons, Edward and John, both joined the Hampshire Guards before the American Civil War began, and left for Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. In many books the town is called "Harper's Ferry" with an apostrophe....
in May 1861. John was killed in the Battle of Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
the following year. His son Edward was wounded in the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
and acted as a courier
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
for Generals Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
and Jubal Anderson Early
Jubal Anderson Early
Jubal Anderson Early was a lawyer and Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served under Stonewall Jackson and then Robert E. Lee for almost the entire war, rising from regimental command to lieutenant general and the command of an infantry corps in the Army of Northern Virginia...
and later took part in the capture of General George Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
and Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley
Benjamin Franklin Kelley was an American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in several military campaigns in West Virginia and Maryland....
when he acted as a guide for the McNeill's Rangers
McNeill's Rangers
McNeill's Rangers was an independent Confederate military force commissioned under the Partisan Ranger Act by the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War. The 210 man battalion-size unit was formed from Company E of the 18th Virginia Cavalry and the First Virginia Partisan Rangers...
. Two of Edward's sisters, Rebecca and Etta, were sent from Hampshire County to carry a message to General Jackson, then stationed near Winchester, that the Union forces were in possession of Romney. They rode horseback for their entire journey and carried the message under the saddle
Saddle
A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
.
Southern Methodist support
Washington was an early supporter of the Southern Methodists
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
in Hampshire County, of which he alludes to in his 1868 journal. He was one of the trustees who purchased land in 1851 in the town of Springfield
Springfield, West Virginia
Springfield is an unincorporated census-designated place in northwestern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, Springfield had a population of 477. Springfield is located north of Romney along West Virginia Route 28 at its junction with Green Spring Road and...
in order to construct a church building for the Methodist Episcopal Church South, after Methodists split into northern and southern factions in 1846. Washington states that he and his family had not been able to attend the Springfield Methodist Church while it was in the process of being repaired after the American Civil War.
Robert M. Washington
George W. Washington died on 6 February 1876 and his willWill (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
was proved four days later. His wife Sally died in 1886. They are buried at Indian Mound Cemetery in Lot 78 in Romney. The farm continued in son Robert's hands when he purchased it in January 1879 from the other heirs and devisees of his father. Those signing the conveyance
Conveyancing
In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien....
were the following: his mother Sally; Edward Washington and his wife Susan; James B. Rees and wife Rebecca (Washington); Ettie Washington; George W. Washington and wife Ann E.; John J. Inskeep and wife Bettie Washington; and Sallie G. Washington. Robert retained ownership of the farm until his death in 1930. Approximately 500 acres (2 km²) of the farm were sold in 1936 by Washington's heirs to the Brinker brothers of Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
built a line near the farm in 1883. This line served the communities from Green Spring, West Virginia
Green Spring, West Virginia
Green Spring is an unincorporated census-designated place and railroad town in Hampshire County, West Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 218. Green Spring is located north of Springfield on Green Spring Road near the confluence of the North and South Branches of the Potomac...
to Petersburg
Petersburg, West Virginia
Petersburg is a city in Grant County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,423 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
. The railroad had a siding on the farm to drop supplies as needed, such as fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
and other materials. This was in place until 1930. 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...
continues to operate on the old Baltimore and Ohio line near Washington Bottom Farm.
Brinker family
Brothers Fred, George, and Joseph Brinker had owned a machinery dealership in Cumberland. They converted the horse barn into a dairyDairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
barn and began to operate a dairy business in 1940. In 1943, Fred's son Charles W. and wife Dorothy and two children moved from Baltimore, Maryland to Springfield, West Virginia
Springfield, West Virginia
Springfield is an unincorporated census-designated place in northwestern Hampshire County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, Springfield had a population of 477. Springfield is located north of Romney along West Virginia Route 28 at its junction with Green Spring Road and...
, to help operate the dairy farm. In 1950, they purchased a half interest, and after the accidental farm-related death of Fred Brinker, they acquired the remaining interest in the farm from family members. Charles and Dorothy Brinker lived at the farm for fifty years and operated the dairy with the help of their four children: Fred, Maryann, Robert, and Terry.
Washington Bottom Farm is currently owned by Robert C. Brinker and his wife, Loretta. With their sons, Matthew and Michael, the farm was expanded in fall 2001, and the dairy was returned to operation. A milking parlor was installed in the original horse barn to handle 400 head of Holstein cattle. The main crops harvested are corn and hay to support the herd. Although the farm once had 700 acres (2.8 km²), it now has a total of 251.6 acres (1 km²) associated with the early
residence and farm buildings.
Ridgedale has undergone an extensive restoration project funded from both the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
through the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
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...