High Gate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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High Gate
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The main house, looking Looking northwest from Fairmont Avenue
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 801 Fairmont Ave., Fairmont, West Virginia  United States |
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| Area | 4.5 acres (1.8 ha) |
| Built | 1910-12 |
| Architect | Horace Trumbauer |
| Architectural style | Tudor revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004326 |
| Added to NRHP | 1982 |
High Gate is a historic house in Fairmont, West Virginia. It is also known as the James Edwin Watson House or Ross Funeral Home. This beautiful old building is located at 800 Fairmont Avenue.
The main house and its carriage house were built between 1910 and 1913. A rich businessman named James E. Watson had them built. His father, James O. Watson, was famous for starting the coal industry in West Virginia.
A talented architect from Philadelphia named Horace Trumbauer designed High Gate. The house and carriage house are great examples of a style called Tudor Revival architecture.
What is Tudor Revival Architecture?
Tudor Revival is a building style that looks like old English homes from the late Middle Ages. It became popular in the United States in the early 1900s.
Buildings in this style often have special features. These include half-timbering, which means wooden beams are visible on the outside walls. They also have stucco walls and roofs made of clay tiles.
High Gate was built early in the Tudor Revival period. It shows how grand and fancy homes were for wealthy people in the early 20th century. This style became even more popular in the 1920s and 1930s.
Saving High Gate: Preservation Efforts
In 2002, two groups teamed up to help save High Gate. The Vandalia Heritage Foundation worked with Friends of High Gate. Their goal was to protect and fix up the Carriage House and its gardens.
The Vandalia Heritage Foundation plans to make the Carriage House and Gardens more useful. They are also working to restore the second floor of the building. This space will be used for offices.
Once the restoration is finished, Vandalia will be able to "Keep the Gates Open." This means they will continue to preserve an important part of West Virginia's history. It also helps keep a special piece of Fairmont's local history alive.
