Beall-Air facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Beall-Air
|
|
 |
|
 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Nearest city | Halltown, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1820 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001914 |
| Added to NRHP | August 17, 1973 |
Beall-Air, also known as the Colonel Lewis William Washington House, is a beautiful old house in Halltown, West Virginia. It's a two-story building made of brick covered in stucco, built in a classic style. This house was once the home of Colonel Lewis William Washington. He was a great-great nephew of George Washington, America's first president. Lewis William Washington was also involved in John Brown's famous raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
The oldest part of the house, which is now the back section, was likely built before 1800 by Thomas Beall. His daughter, Elizabeth, married George Corbin Washington in 1807. George Corbin was a grandson of Augustine Washington, who was George Washington's half-brother. The front part of the house you see today was added in 1820.
Colonel William Lewis Washington Jr. was born in 1812. He served in the Confederate army during the American Civil War. He was related to General George Washington. He passed away in 1902.
Exploring Beall-Air's Design
The main part of Beall-Air, built in 1820, is a two-story brick house. Its outside is covered in stucco. The house sits on a strong stone foundation. The corners of the house are thicker, like columns, and a similar thick band runs above the second-floor windows.
The front of the house has a small porch with a flat roof. Four tall, fancy columns support this roof. The front door has windows on its sides and above it. The window directly above the porch looks similar. The sides of the house have stepped gables and chimneys. A smaller, older building is connected to the main house by a two-story walkway. This part also has stucco and a gabled roof with dormer windows. Its windows look like they are from the late 1700s.
The Harpers Ferry Attack
Lewis William Washington owned some special items that once belonged to George Washington. These included a sword said to be a gift from Frederick the Great and a pair of pistols from Lafayette. John Cook, who was part of John Brown's group, learned about these items. He also noticed that Washington owned enslaved people at Beall-Air.
John Brown was very interested in the Washington family items. During Brown's attack on Harpers Ferry, a group led by Cook went to Beall-Air. They took the sword and pistols. They also took three of Washington's enslaved people. Lewis William Washington and the enslaved people were taken as hostages to Harpers Ferry. They also stopped at the Allstadt House and Ordinary to take more hostages.
Everyone survived being held captive. Washington later helped the Marine rescue team identify John Brown. During the fight at John Brown's Fort, a Marine officer tried to strike Brown with a sword. It is said that the sword from George Washington, which Brown was wearing, helped protect him.
