House and garden enthusiasts—not to mention history buffs—can prepare for a treat this month. The 53rd Annual House & Garden Tour will be held the weekend of April 26–27 in Jefferson and Berkeley counties. Sponsored by garden clubs in the Shenandoah-Potomac Garden Council, this year’s tour includes seven stops. Revenue from ticket sales benefits the Shenandoah-Potomac Garden Council and funds community garden and landscape beautification projects the counties.
“This yearly house and garden tour provides an opportunity for the public to see beautiful homes and gardens they otherwise would not be able to see,” said Vice President Tami Bellotte.
Virginia Rowzie, Dolley Madison Garden Club president, said that the event is a huge undertaking for their volunteers, but the enthusiastic appreciation of visitors is enough to rally the troops each year. “There are few club activities that bring the members together with as much ‘can-do’ attitude as this house and garden event,” she said.
The tour is self-guiding, enabling you to drive at their leisure to each location over the two-day period. The tour doesn’t have to be taken in order, but the stops are organized geographically. Tour-goers can buy a ticket for the entire tour or buy a single admission ticket per house.
At each location, garden club members dressed in period attire will provide information, handouts, and refreshments. Guided tours of the house and garden are offered at some of the locations.
The first stop on the tour is Cool Spring Farm (Zackquil Morgan House), 2956 Runnymeade Road, three miles west of Bunker Hill. Using the area’s abundant native limestone, the house at Cool Spring Farm was built in 1761 by Zackquil Morgan, son of Col. Morgan Morgan (whose log house across the street is also open for this year’s tour). The 1761 Federal-style two-story house features a fine collection of antiques. Many American Revolutionary War and Civil War artifacts discovered at the farm during the 1970 restoration are on display in the home. The unique gardens feature many limestone foundations and structures—bronze plaques explain the heritage of the farm. The owner, John Thornton Hilleary, is an avid gardener and knowledgeable horticulturist. He worked as a White House landscape gardener for both Presidents Nixon and Johnson. Shown by Norborne Garden Club.
The Philip Pendleton House, at 6393 Arden-Nollville Road in Martinsburg, is the second stop on the tour. This exceptionally large log home was built in 1776 on a rock ledge and contains a center log beam 48 feet long. The exterior logs were covered with rough plaster, and then scored to look like blocks. A Japanese mural, Italian-styled dining room, ballroom, and paint techniques are highlights of this property, along with the historic basement, used during the Civil War for hiding, storage, and even stabling horses. Restoration work on this lovely old house has been done by the current owners, the Martin’s, who bought it in 1979. Shown by Olde Berkeley Garden Club.
Stop number three is the Hiram Hedges House (also known as Hilda Lingamfelter’s House), 546 Ridge Road North in Martinsburg. Sitting on land originally granted from Lord Fairfax to Joshua Hedges in 1754, this farmhouse was built by Hiram Hedges, a descendent of the Hedgesville founding family. When Hiram died in 1880, he had no children so he left his land and house to his nephew, Walter H. Lingamfelter and his niece Sallie F. Myers. After their subsequent improvements, the farmhouse was considered a local show place. Over the years, the farmhouse had suffered general deterioration inside and out. During the restoration it was entirely stripped to bare logs but many of the original features were kept and restored, with one log wall left exposed to show the construction methods used by the original builder. A restored stone smoke house and a two-seat privy are also on the grounds, as well as an unrestored post-and-beam bank barn built in 1909 by 109 local men and boys in a one-day barn-raising. Current owners Ronald Blunt and Kelleigh Sherrod have owned the property since 2006. Shown by Berk-Mar Garden Club.
The Chapline-Shenton House, 101 North Princess Street in Shepherdstown, is the fourth stop. Now the home of Mr. Hank Willard, this house was built in 1793 by William Chapline. During the Civil War, the house was used as a barracks for Confederate soldiers and, following the Battle of Antietam, the home sheltered wounded from both sides. In 1912 the house was saved from the big fire on German Street with buckets of water pulled to the roof to quench sparks falling on the moss-covered shingles. The Federal-style house is built of red brick with alternating Flemish and English bonds. Among the architectural features are a stringcourse of half-round bricks above the foundation that forms a water table to divert heavy rains, hand-hewn wooden “keystones” that decorate the windows, and barge boards at the gable ends of the house. The house has high ceilings, an open stairway winding from the first to the third floor, and fireplaces in every room. The house has undergone a number of renovations. Shown by Dolley Madison Garden Club.
Just a short walk away is The Welch House, 209 West German Street, stop five on the tour. The original house at this address was a “two up and two down,” built in the Greek Revival style, circa 1825. There was an addition in the late Victorian era that now holds the dining room, kitchen, and an attractive double porch, facing the garden in the east. The third addition was completed in 1993 and reflects the changes made during the Victorian remodeling. Shown by Shenandoah Garden Club.
Charles Town hosts stop six: The Carriage Inn, 417 East Washington Street was built in 1836 by architects Forde & Snyder for Dr. Taliaferro Stribling. It was built in sections and is depicted in some of James E. Taylor’s prints in the dwelling. Thomas and Mary Rutherford owned the house during the Civil War. On Sept. 17, 1864, they hosted a meeting between Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan to set strategy for the ensuing Shenandoah Valley campaign. General Sheridan used the home as his headquarters on many occasions during the Civil War. Several Southern generals were also guests in this house, among them: J.E.B. Stuart, John Ashby, Stonewall Jackson, and Robert E. Lee. The Rutherford family and their heirs owned the house until 1888, when George and Emily Washington became the owners. The Washingtons, who planted the copper beech trees in the front lawn and installed the iron fence, were residents until 1902. After subsequent owners, the bed and breakfast was created in 1985, now owned by Donn and Marie Davis. Shown by Piedmont Garden Club.
The seventh and final stop on the tour is the Sylvester House (also known as “Hojola”), 265 Prospect Avenue in Bolivar Heights. In June 1900 Maj. Richard Sylvester bought 10 acres along Bolivar Heights, and built the family summer home, called “Hojola.” Its construction coincided with the remodeling of the White House by Major Sylvester’s friend, President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt sent many White House items to the major, including doors, windows, and lighting fixtures, some remaining in the home today. The home was built in a somewhat eclectic architectural style, but it is primarily Arts and Crafts. The floor plan was very open, and all doors had transom windows to take full advantage of the breeze along the heights. It was sold in the early 1930s to the Wilt family, who eventually owned most of the homes along Bolivar Heights. Current owners Robyn and Dave Taft have since completely updated the home. Shown by the Woman’s Club of Harpers Ferry District.
Shepherdstown resident Andrea Longnecker loves the historic aspect of the tour. “I think it’s a great event because it opens our historic homes to the public. By doing so, it raises awareness about the history of our area. Many people are curious to see pretty homes but the history aspect is what really draws me to it,” she said.
For more information about the tour, visit www.shenandoah-potomacgardencouncil.org or call (304) 263-6906. Tickets are also available at the chambers of commerce and visitors centers in Jefferson and Berkeley counties. Advance tickets for the full tour cost $15, but you can purchase tickets at any tour stop for the entire tour, or per site for $6.
