Indian Mound Cemetery Tours
were offered.
The unopened mound is thought to date from 500 to 1000 AD. The land was conveyed
in 1860 by David Gibson, with a section reserved for blacks. Unknown Confederate
soldiers, as well as two former governors of West Virginia, are buried here.
The monument to Southern dead is thought to have been the first such erected.
Located at the western edge of town along Rt. 50 at School St. A guided tour of the Cemetery will be conducted on Saturday at 10AM.
Historic Homes & Buildings Tours
Featured Sites in 2008 are:
Private Homes on tour Saturday 10AM-3PM, Sunday 1-3PM
(Other
historic sites hours noted) While all the sites are
open free of charge, donations to help
with the costs of Heritage Days signage and information dissemination
are much appreciated.
Sometimes
music seems to echo in old homes and voices whisper in the tall-ceilinged
rooms. Ladies in long dresses descend an elegant
stair, and gentlemen in frock coats bluster about the weather and horses
while toasting their shins at the blazing fire. The past comes
alive in historic homes, and visitors to Hampshire
Heritage Days will get a glimpse of days gone
by as they tour historic homes, buildings and churches. Romney
is the oldest town in all of West Virginia, and Hampshire County is the
oldest county.
Seven homes, three churches and seven buildings
of historic significance will be on the free, self-guided tour. The
homes and other buildings will feature antiques and unique architectural
styles, and docents will tell interesting anecdotes.
Among the
homes will be the Shaffer Funeral Home, 230 East Main St., the home of the 15th Governor of West Virginia, John J. Cornwell, built in 1914 in the Greek Revival Style. A wine-tasting event will be offered Saturday only in the gazebo behind Shaffer's, open to those over 21 for a $5 fee.
The Keller-Shaffer House, 206 East Main St., built in the American 4-Square style, boasts the Art Nouveau influence
of the Edwardian period.
The Keller-Miller-Newell Home, 229 East Main St.,, a Victorian cottage, was acquired by Margaret Inskeep Keller in 1891. The boxwood
and grapevine evident today were planted by the original owner.
Liberty Hall, 276 East Main St., circa 1858, served as headquarters for Stonewall Jackson, where he wrote a resignation letter that was rejected.
The Blue Home, 261 East Main St., built
in 1900, has been home to the descendents of Lt. John Blue, famed Confederate
spy.
Next door to the Blue Home, at 287 East Main St. is The Boxwood, built in 1800, it was used as a Civil
War hospital and reportedly the ceremonies for each of the 56 changes between the Northern and Southern armies in Romney took place under a great elm in the front yard.
Hampshire House 1884, 165 North Grafton St., is a Victorian home
with Federal influence that has been restored as a bed and breakfast.
Churches
Three churches will be among
the historic sites open to tour. A fourth will be open for a period service on Sunday at 11.
Mount
Pisgah Church, on North High St., which has served the black community since 1886, was open. Greeting you as you enter Romney from the
East at 332 East Main St. is the charming St. Stephen's Episcopal Church built in 1885 for
$1,800, this small brick church features gothic windows and tiny porticos.
The Tiffany-style altar window is in memory of the minister who
served from 1886 to 1915. The marble baptismal font predates the church
building. St.
Stephenswill a Civil War era service on Sunday at 9AM.
. 
The First Methodist Church on North High St.,
features a lovely tin ceiling. Built in 1904, it replaced
the original 1869 building on the same site, which was completely destroyed
by fire. It features a lovely tin ceiling. An educational building was
added in the 1920s.
Romney Presbyterian Church, Rosemary Lane, will hold an 1860s service Sunday morning at 11AM. It was built in
1860 and used both as a Union hospital and stable simultaneously, . Originally it had a
bell tower and steeple, but those were removed due to the weakened condition
of the building. Iron rails outside and rods inside were added to reinforce
the walls.
Other Historic Buildings
The log-sided Davis History House,
197 West Main St. next to the LIbrary, is one of the oldest homes in Romney, deeded in 1795. This
was home to the Davis family, which sent two sons to fight for the Confederacy
and one for the Union. Now a museum, it features Civil War artifacts
and period furnishings. .
The Bottling Works, built as
a Coca-Cola processing plant, now owned by The Loy Foundation, the structure
now serves as a facility for cultural events and group gatherings. For
Heritage Days it will host exhiibits and programs focusing on colonial
and French and Indian War history, with demonstrating heritage crafters.
The Old Hampshire County Jail, until recently,
housed "nearly all of Hampshire County's more colorful characters
and villains," and has strange stories of ghostly writing on the
cell walls. (There will be a modest fee to visit the jail and here these
eerie tales.)
Sat.
10AM-4PM, Sun. noon-4PM
Taggart Hall Civil War Museum, 91 S. High St.
Frances Taggart, a Quaker, constructed this clapboard "half" house
on a lot from the Lord Fairfax survey. It now serves as headquarters
for the Fort Mill Ridge Foundation's Civil War Museum, as well as home
of the Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce.
WV Schools for the Deaf & Blind
Guided walking tours will be offered Saturday at 10AM and 1PM and Sunday at 1PM.
Old Hampshire Jail Tours were offered just north of the Courthouse
Annex. Built in the mid 1870s, this jail served the county until about
2000.
to help defray the costs of printing, signage and promotion were appreciated.
