Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1903-10-03
AN OLD LANDMARK GONE
House of Historic interest Gives
Place to a Modern Dwelling.
WAS ERECTED ABOUT 1885
First Owner Was Nicholas Roush, Whose
Descendants Still Reside on The
Ancestral Estate.
MAS ERECTED ABOUT 1885
Ancestral Estate

Mr.. George W. Roush. of Rose
mont, just west of this city. will
erect a handsome brick residence
house on West King street, two doors
east of Raleigh on the site OF one OF
the ancient landmarks of Martinsburg,
and place rich in historic interest,
which has just been demolished By
the inexorahle march of progress.
The old structure, of which not
vestige now remains, was one OF the
most ancient places in tho whole val
lev, aud was erected at a time when
the Young republic was emerging from
the terrible War nf Independence, and
when the fragment of the once rover.
tribes of Indian who has been swept
beyond the Appalachian region were
vet suffered to linQer around their for
mer hanting ground, grim and dusky,
put with the pride of race in their
naughty veins.
The most reliable information places
the erection of the building about the
year 1885, although 1t is probable that
it even antedated that period. 1t
was one-story structure, with an
attic, and stood between the house on
the corner, now occupied by Mrs. P.
G. Curtis, and the two-story frame
structure known as the old Roush
homestead. 1t was built to withstand
a. ~ and xuan did II
serve it's purpose. In it's construction
massive tlmbers and masonry PLAYED
their part, and where 1T was necessary
to use nails the latter were wrought
by hand in the primitive smithv OF
some backwoods Vulcan-large. and
long, and sharp, with heads as big as
a penny. and forged for proof
eterne.' When the building was torn
down the nails chung to the old tim
bers with a tenacity that showed the
time defying qualities of both wood
and iron, thus offering mute, but
unavailing protest to the ruthless hand
of the DESTROYER.
From the most authentic source it is
learned that the house was first the
property of Nicholas Roush, father
of Conrad Roush and great-grand-
father of Charles Roush and George
Roush. now living. Upon the death
CT Nicholas Roush the house passed to
his son. Conrad, who for years con-
Quoted hat factory within its walls
and lived with his family in the house
on the corner. Conrad Roush was
also a man of large landed estate, and
his acres stretched away to the west
OF town for considerable distance,
portion of il now comprising the farms
of Charles and George Roush. On tie
corner now occupied by Maybury
Tabler stood the spring house, and
the barn reared its roof just a short
distance south. Where the residence
of Postmaster qlohan now stands was
big pond, fed bv powerful spring,
and the ground between Raleigh street
and the Cum berland Valley tracks was
given over to fine orchard with
many varieties of fruits.
Mr.. Philip Showers. whose recol.
lection goes back for more than 80
years, remembers the old orchard well.
and states that he, as a barefoot boy,
had eaten many stolen apple from
the trees The late joseph Potts,
who lived opposite, and remembered
the house three-quarters of century
ago, had sold many skin of the willy
muskrat that fell victim to his youth
full prowess, to Conrad Rousb, to be
worked into hats. Jacob Swartz,
who was boy 20 years ago, KNEW the
house as a landmark theI, and remem-
bers the hat factory of Mr.. Roush.
But not timber stands TODAY. the
last trace of the old structure having
been obliterated day or two ago
when the massive chimney, that had
stood for century and a quarter, was
toppled from its poise and crashed with
its stone and mortar TO the earth be-
low, pile of shameless ruins.
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