Feb. 11, 2018 – “The Washington Family Homes in Jefferson County, West Virginia,” presented by Walter Washington.
The Lovettsville Historical Society will open its 2018 lecture series on February 11, with a presentation by Walter Washington of Charles Town which will chronicle the migration of the Washington family from the Virginia Tidewater to the Lower Shenandoah Valley.
In 1750, eighteen year-old George Washington made his first real estate purchase of 500 acres in what is now Jefferson County, West Virginia, then part of Frederick County, Virginia. In 1770, his brother Samuel moved to his new home there, called “Harewood.” Ten years later their younger brother Charles built his home called “Happy Retreat,” and in 1786 he founded Charles Town. Their great nephews built the homes called “Blakely” and “Claymont,” and Samuel’s grandson built “Cedar Lawn.”
All in all, the Washington family owned ten manors in Jefferson County, seven of which have survived to this day. Today more Washington family descendants are buried in the Zion Episcopal Church cemetery in Charles Town, than in any other place in the country.
The February 11 event also included background on the Washingtons in Loudoun County.
Our presenter Walter Washington practices law in Charles Town, West Virginia. He received his undergraduate degree from Carleton College and his law degree from American University. He lives at “Harewood,” the home built by his 5th great grandfather Samuel Washington in 1770. He is also the president of Friends of Happy Retreat, the non-profit corporation that has acquired and is restoring “Happy Retreat,” the 1780 home of Charles Washington.
March 11, 2018 – “How Do We Remember the French and Indian War?” Patrick Murphy, author of the award-winning book “The French & Indian War in Shenandoah County: Life on the Inner Frontier, 1752-1766,” will discuss the French and Indian War in the Shenandoah Valley – the closest the war came to Loudoun County — with a focus on how we remember it today. Murphy, who has been a Navy engineer, an English professor, and a practicing lawyer, is now an accomplished historian and is a Board member of the French and Indian War Foundation in Winchester.
“The French & Indian War in Shenandoah County: Life on the Inner Frontier, 1752-1766” by R. Patrick Murphy.
“Mary Quantrell: The Real ‘Barbara Fritchie.'” Chris Haugh, Frederick County historian and Historic Preservation Manager of Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick, Maryland, will explore the legend of Barbara Fritchie as it was shaped by Whittier’s poem, and will reveal who was the real flag-waver on that day when Stonewall Jackson and Confederate troops marched through Frederick.
May 20, 2018 – “The Story of George’s Mill,” presented by Fran Wire, proprietor of George’s Mill Farm B&B, and a former Board member of the Lovettsville Historical Society. Fran will tell the story of George’s Mill, located near Lovettsville, which has been in the hands of the George family for eight generations.
June 10, 2018 – “Waterford: A Village in Time,” by Neil Hughes, based on his new book A Village in Time 1660-1990: Discovering American History in a Small Virginia Quaker Village.
Other lectures being planned include:
- James Willard and Willard Hall, Lovettsville.
- Caspar Wever and Weverton, Maryland.
- … and more.