Evening star., 1952-06-08
By Jessie Font Evons


Nestled between Maryland and
Virginia, only slightly more than
an hours drive from this city,
lies Jefferson County, w. Va,
which justly boasts of picturesque,
historic Charles Town and of the
seven famous Washington family
homes that rim it's outskirts.
AS guests of Mr.. and Mrs. Au-
gustine j. Todd of 1920 Garfield
street NV. a group of us has
just had a personally conducted
tour of these too-little known
homes of members of George
Washington's family. We en-
joyed a typical Southern luncheon
with Augustine and Frances Todd
in the Charles Town home, which
they still maintain, with its men,
orabilia Of John Brown. Our car
group included Capt. Lewis j.
Jennings. U. S. NJ, and Mrs. Jen-
nings, and Mr.. and Mrs. Nelson
Johnson, with Capt. Jennings as
the driver and pathfinder. He
had been this way many times
before as a boyhood visitor in sew
eral of these distinguished Co
lonial homes that had known the
great Washington as their fire.
quent guest. Others in the motor
included the Rev. and
Mrs. James B. Henderson, Rear
Admiral and Mrs. William P. Rob-
ert, DR.. and Mrs. William Cabell
Moore, Mrs. James T. Mckinley
and Mrs. Lionel Wye of this city
and Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas L..
Cooke of Morristown, N. j., the
latter the president of the Daugh-
ters Of the Cincinnati.
Locust Hill owned by our
hostess. Frances Packette Todd,
was first upon our sightseeing
itinerary. This section Of West
Virginia. ceded against the pro-
tests of its principal Virginia
andholders to the new sister State
in the making. was sometimes
called "'the storm child of the
War of Secession"
Built in 1910 for Gen. Wash
lngton's great-grandniece, Lucy
Washington Packette, Locust
Hill was the scene of a Civil War
;kirmish when Gen. Philip Sheri-
Ian and his men took possessionI
If 1t in the summer of 1864 and
placed the Packette family, their
guests and their servants under
guard in its basement. The house
vas Gen. Sheridan's Headquarters
until Gen. Jubal Early's Con-
lederate forces attacked it from
oreastworks back of the stone wall
ences that separate it from Sui
'rave. A cannon ball came down
'ne chimney during this engage
nent and the rear wall of the
house still bears the marks of
mimic" bullet holes in it's rose
brick. This house with
is rolling acreage is now leased
% Mr.. and Mrs. Roy Steeley,
laughter and son-in-law Of
z. j. Funkhouser, West Virginia
ndustrialist. whose interest in this
section extends to many of the
Washington homes. He has Just
old fabulous Claymont Court,
home Of Bushrod Corbin Washing
on to Edwin Mower, lumber
manufacturer and cattleman, who
will keep up the prize Hereford
arm Mr.. Funkhouser instituted
IN its many cases. Claymont
court was a literary mecca dur
ng its ownership by Frank Stock
on, the famous novelist, from
899 until his death.
Originally, Mrs. Todd's Locust
Hill holdings were a part of the
nearby Hardwood estate. the first
# the Washington family's hold
ngs in Jefferson County, for it's
.creage was inherited by Samuel
Washington from his older half ]
rother, Lawrence Washington of
dount Vernon on the Potomac.
House with its beautiful
aneling is today in the possession
f one Of the direct descendants [
t the Samuel Washington, who 4
uilt it-Dr. John Washington-t