Page-Vawter House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Page-Vawter House
|
|
The Page-Vawter House from the Midland Trail
|
|
 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Rt. Box 20, Ansted, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Minter, William |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 85001813 |
| Added to NRHP | August 21, 1985 |
The Page-Vawter House is a beautiful old mansion in Ansted, West Virginia. It was built between 1889 and 1890. Carpenters from the Gauley Mountain Coal Company built it. It was for William Nelson Page, who was the company president. Mr. Page and his wife, Emma, lived there with their four children. They had eight servants helping them. The house sits on a small hill in the middle of town.
A Grand Home
The famous architect William Minter designed this house. He built it in a special style called Gothic. The house has 15 main rooms. It also has a butler's pantry and a dressing room.
Inside, you can find 11 fireplaces. Each one has a wooden mantel. Many of these mantels are carved in different designs. Even the door hinges are fancy and decorated. Outside, the house has 52 tall windows. Each window is about 8 feet high.
Building a Railroad
The Page-Vawter House is famous for another reason. It's where William Nelson Page planned the Virginian Railway. This railway was built to carry coal. A rich businessman named Henry Huttleston Rogers helped pay for it.
The Virginian Railway was finished in 1909. It became known as the "Richest Little Railroad in the World." A nearby town was even named Page after William Nelson Page.
A House with History
After the Page family, the Vawter family lived in the mansion for many years. Today, the house still stands. It reminds us of the busy coal mining days.
In 2007, Jim and Debbie Campbell bought the house. They worked hard to restore it. They fixed it up from top to bottom.
The Page-Vawter House is very important. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This means it is a special historic building.
