Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-09-26
A WALK IN sHHpHBRDsTowN.

In an old copy of the Shepherdstown
REGISTER for 1850 Is q poem, the last
verse of which reads as follows:
"But know thy highest dwells at home:
there Art,
And choral inspirations SPRING
II thou wouldst touch the universal
heart,
OF thine own country sing"
How we wish the good editors Of that
day had taken their own advice, and at
least written, il not sung, OF their own
neighborhood. In one Of the very first
issues Of the REGISTER they propose.to
| give their readers series OF articles on
the Antiquities Of Shepherdstown."
and they began very well with most
interesting account Of the first settlers.
With what eagerness we searched the
next issues, in hopes OF continuance OF
| such valuable information But, alas,
in short time we came upon an an
nouncement that dashed our hopes.
| This was to the effect that since the
Free Press had anticipated the REGIS
TER by beginning series OF articles on
| the same subject, they would yield to
the editor of that journal.
| Again, when the cornerstone OF the
town hall was laid, with imposing cere-
monies, some extremely valuable old
documents were inferred in box under
it, which we would give good deal to
see, but which will enlighten nobody
until the walls Of the old ediflce crum-
BILE to dust. The editor. on that occasion
promised "in his next issue" to give Us
1 some information about the site on
which the town hall was erected.
Again we were doomed to disappoint-
ment The next issue, was entirely
taken up with news OF the John Brown
Raid!"
l am sure many people still takeia
sincere interest ia the doings OF their
| forefdthers in our quaint and ancient
town. Would it not be good thing to
| Jog the memories of some of our oldest
| inhabitants before it is too late, and
beg them to try to recall the history
and traditions of the town and first set
tiers thereof Fortunately the march
of progress has passed by many OF our
oldest and queerest buildings. Surely
there must be many who can tell us
who built and who inhabited these
old houses 7 To start the ball rolling,
We will give few facts that we have
gathered. begging to be corrected where
we are mistaken by those, of whom there
must be very many, better informed
than ourself. a
To begin at the corner OF German
and Duke streets, the old house so long
occupied by dear old Mrs. Byers-whose
pleasant face was so often seen at her
window through screen Of beautiful
flowers, as she sat at works. certainly
very old yelling, and must, we think,
have been builtivery soon after Col.
Shepherd laid out his farm Of fifty acres
into lots aud streets, which was about
the year 1852.
Passing on down German street, stands
one Of the handsomest as we'll as one
Of the oldest mansions ever erected in
Shepherdstown. This is the old Hears
ley house, afterwards the Towner house.
| 1t is substantially built, and has. an un-
usually fine back building, with spac-
ious old corridor, quaint brick pillars
and pavement, Of great age. We have
not ascertained the exact date OF this
house, but it was built sometime in the
eighteenth century. John KearsleY
was one Of the first settlers in "Meck-
lenburg." His daughter married a
Il
the grandfather Of Americas most cell
ebrated physician, DR.. Weir Mitchell,
who is still living in Philadelphia. DR..
Weir Mitchell's father, DR.. John Kear-
sley Mitchell, was born in Shepher ds-
town, perhaps in the old Kearsley
house, and left here when youth.
A door or two below Mr.. Lickllder',
store is the old Lloklider house, and
next to it is the old Shepherd house,
very interesting for it's general appear
ance OF antiquity, and for its quaint
dormer windows, topped with low
cross. This is certainly one OF the old
est houses still standing, and may have
been the original farm house, W hen
this part OF the town was the Shepherd
farm.
Other interesting old houses on Ger.
man st. are the Ohapline house, built
over fine spring; the old mansion, an
elegant dwelling in its day, built by
Mr.. Van Swearingen, and now occu-
pied by the Misses Markell /; and the
handsome old home Of DR.. Parran.
Then there is the IA nous old building
of the Entler Hotel, and, opposite, Mr..
Hodges house, in which Henry Bedin-
ger died.
Next to this is another old, comfort.
able, and spacious house, now occupied
by Mr.. Phillips. l am told that this
house was built by the grandfather OF
the late Miss Lulie McMurran.
fear have exhausted the patience
of my readers, and will not now con-
tinue my walk down Princess street.
There are too many interesting old
houses and ruins on that street, for 1t
is we'll known that the ancient village
of Mecklenburg lay in that direction.
hope some one, less ignorant than my
self, will take up this topic where l
| lay it down, and tell us the story OF this
famous old street. / wish, also, that 1t
were possible to ascertain who built
some Of the old country houses in this
vicinity, such, for instance, as the. Tan
ner farm house, and the old stone house
at Morgan's Spring.
1t il more likely chat, in my ignor-
ance, have omitted some OF the most
interesting Of the old buildings on my
short walk. can only humbly ask
their pardon, and beg for enlighten-