Posted in West Virginia May 04, 2022 by

There Are 3 Must-See Historic Landmarks In The Charming Town Of Charles Town, West Virginia

Whether you are an architectural historian or just a fan of interesting sites, here are three listings worth visiting out of Charles Town’s 30 nationally registered historic places. George Washington’s youngest brother, Charles, is the founder of Charles Town, West Virginia. He arrived in the Lower Shenandoah Valley in 1780. Family interest in the land began in 1748, when 16-year-old George surveyed it for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. George was so impressed, he eventually owned nearly 2,300 acres.

It is easy to see why. The Shenandoah Valley is a region of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and western Virginia. It couldn’t exist in a more magnificent setting, spanning about 140 miles between the Allegheny Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
William Louis Sonntag, Sr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The beauty so captured artist William Louis Sonntag, he put brush to canvas, rendering this oil painting in 1859-1860.
Happy Retreat, the home of George's youngest brother Charles, is surrounded by 12 acres. It is an 18th century Federal/Greek Revival style home, featuring a kitchen/smokehouse, and a wooden schoolhouse.
Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
In 1780, Charles Washington moved his family here. He generously put aside 80 acres to form Charles Town, founded in 1786.
Pictured is the stone kitchen/smokehouse. More of the history is available here.
Library of Congress/National Park Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In 2015, Friends of Happy Retreat purchased the mansion, outbuildings, and surrounding two acres of land.
The organization is restoring the house and its outbuildings to use as a center for history, heritage tourism, and events.
Happy Retreat/Facebook
Pictured is the interior of the kitchen/smokehouse, where it is easy to imagine how cooking was done back then.
This decorated dining room table brings warmth and life to the mansion.
Happy Retreat/Facebook
The City of Charles Town plans to purchase ten acres of the Happy Retreat property to create a grand park.
Another house built for the Washington family, Claymont Court, was rebuilt in 1840, for Bushrod Corbin Washington, grandnephew of George Washington.
Troy Tolley/Flickr
This Georgian-style brick mansion replaced the main house built in 1820, which burned in 1838. At completion, it was the largest house in the area with 59 rooms, and 25 fireplaces sprawling a giant 16,000 square feet.
Claymont was purchased in 1974 by John G. Bennett. It is now used as a retreat center by the Claymont Society for Continuous Education.
ArchonMeld, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Guest rooms and conference facilities are available. Pictured is the main dining room.
In 1820, Bushrod finished building Claymont for the then monumental sum of $30,000. For more information, click here.
ArchonMeld, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The third interesting stop is Zion Episcopal Church and Cemetery, sitting on the highest point in Charles Town. The church opened Dec. 6, 1851 - but it wasn’t the first building. For more information about the church and cemetery, click here.
Zion Episcopal Church - Charles Town WV/Facebook
The original church on the site, built about 1815, was replaced by a larger church that burned in a fire.
The cemetery boasts the graves of 70 members of the Washington family, of whom 20 were born at Mount Vernon. Some include the last owner of Mount Vernon, Colonel John A. Washington, and the sister of Dolly Madison, Lucy Todd Washington.
Chuck C/TripAdvisor
In addition, the graveyard is home to about 90 Confederate soldiers and two Revolutionary War officers. Be sure to bring a phone to look up other prominent people buried here including bishops and a Confederate spy.
During the Civil War, 1861 - 1865, the current building was transformed into a barracks and a hospital, causing the replacement of its interior after the war.
Zion Episcopal Church - Charles Town WV/Facebook
Visitors are always welcome to Sunday church services, taking place at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Again, these are just a few historic sites around Charles Town. If they leave you wanting more, visit this website.

Address: Friends of Happy Retreat, 600 Mordington Ave, Charles Town, WV 25414, USA
Address: Zion Episcopal Church, 301 E Congress St, Charles Town, WV 25414, USA
Address: Claymont Court, 667 Huyett Rd, Charles Town, WV 25414, USA