Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-26
AN HISTORIC HOUSE.
ABOUT WHICH THERE ARE soMR
INTERESTING STORIES.
An Example, of Solid DuiIding-Ths
Owner Was Merchant Prince
Two Memorial sinbs-The whar
tons and CustIses.
tons md Custlses.

ONANCOCK, VA, September @-(Spe.
cial)-There stands in tho northeastern
part Of Accomac on an elevation thai
oyerlooks Assawaman bay, large
square brick house. built during the lat
ter part Of tho last century. 1t is know
far and near as the Wharton House
from It's original proprietor, John Whar.
ton, Esq, who in his day was the mer.
chant prince Of tho Eastern Shore. Al
the foot Of the sloplng hin on which the
house stands runs Assawanan creek
which was in John Whartons days
navigable for tho briggs that then traded
between this section and the West IN.
dies Wharton owned a number OF these
trading vessels, and tho bones" of ona
Of them may sim be seen In the ravine
on tho northern side Of the house. Whar-
ton Is said to have been a great SNUG
gler Of imported goods. especially OF
West India rum and fine goods from tho
French and Spanish towns OF America.
These goods are supposed TO have been
concealed In the basement. which has
eight different compartments, several OF
which could be sealed up with brick To
deceive the revenue inspectors OF those
days.
WE'LL BUILT.
The walls OF the house are feet thick
at the base and IL feet thick from tho
first floor TO the caves. and are as sound
as when they were first built The house
Is two and half stories high and IL
surmounted with n square observatory,
from which fine prospect can be had
OF the ocean and the adjacent Islands.
on a clear day one can sec ships far
out at sea, while, with good 1old.
glass, one can easily distinguish the
houses on Chincoteaguo and the fishing
smacks that make alive the water around
Assateague and Wallop's Islands.
For many years tho house was with
out occupants. The front and rear
porches have long since fallen down, and
several OF tho carved marble ornaments
between the largo windows have tum-
bled down, but the doors are OF such
excellent timber and so well laid that
the naked eye can hardly detect tho
seams In them, and tho plastering on
tho walls and the ceilings Is as firm,
and apparently almost as white. as
when IL was put there, more than n
century ago. When the Dispatch CORE
spondent recently visited the place. in
company with Or. John w. BowdoIn,
Commissioner OF Fisheries for Virginia
and chairman OF tho Democratic party
IN Accomac, two large, thick marble
slabs were found lying west OF the house.
in what was once tho garden, on one OF
which was the following inscriptioni
ITO tho memory OF John wharton,
Esq, who was born IN tho county o, Ac-
comac, State OF Virginia, November q.
1872. Departed this life I'm tho cay OF
philadelphia, February %, 1914. and was
removed TO this place March y. 1874"
on the other slab Is tho following rec
ord:
elizabeth Wharton. daughter OF VIII
liam and Margaret Williams Born May
2i. 1863. Married John Wharton, Esq,
10th June. 1884. Departed this lifo No
vember 10, 1891"
The Whartons and Custises OF the East
ern Shore intermarrled with each other.
but there is no person In this section now
bearing the Wharton name. The do
scendants Of John Wharton moved away
early in this century TO Philadelphia.
where some OF them have become famous.
MANY STONES.
The Wharton house was once owned
by DR. Arthur Watson. OF Onancock,
and 1t Is now the property OF William
Taylor, a prosperous farmer who pays
more attention 70 tho raising Of big crops
OF corn and potatoes than he does TO
tho history and traditions OF tho famous
house I'm which he lives. or course there
are many stories stil current among the
older people OF the neighborhood about
the strange sights that have been seen
and dismal sounds that have been heard
IN and around the house, but OF recent
years no ghostly visitant has deigned 10
appear there to mortal eyes. The house
is by far the finest and most costly ever
built on the Eastern Shore OF Virginia.
but IS comparatively unknown 10 tho
people OF this section, except 20 those
living IN the immediate vicinity. Tie
terraces In front OF the house. extending
down TO Assawaman creek, are said 10
have cost several thousand dollars In tho
building.