White House Farm (Jefferson County, West Virginia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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White House Farm
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Front of the farmhouse as it appeared in the 1930s
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA |
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| Nearest city | Summit Point, West Virginia |
| Built | 1742 |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002583 |
| Added to NRHP | August 29, 1979 |
White House Farm is a very old and important place in Jefferson County, West Virginia. It's also known as White House Tavern or the Dr. John McCormick House. This historic farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find it near the town of Summit Point, about six miles from Charles Town.
The farm includes a stone farmhouse built around 1740. It also has a stone barn, which is the oldest one still standing in West Virginia. There's also a springhouse from the same time and a wooden shed. The farm covers more than 60 acres of fields and woods. It's one of the oldest farms in the county and has a long, interesting story.
History
Early Days
In May 1740, a doctor named John McCormick bought about 395 acres of land. He was an immigrant from Scotland and Ireland. He bought the land from Jost Hite, who was a German land developer. By 1742, Dr. McCormick had built a three-story stone farmhouse.
He was a successful and well-known country doctor. This was clear from the list of his belongings when he passed away in 1768. Dr. McCormick and his wife Ann had six sons and two daughters.
George Washington himself surveyed some of McCormick's land in 1752. Two of Dr. McCormick's sons, James and John Jr., even helped Washington with his early surveys. During Dr. McCormick's life, White House Farm was famous for the horses bred there.
A Revolutionary Inn
When Dr. McCormick died in 1768, the farm went to his youngest son, Andrew. During the American Revolutionary War, Andrew and his wife Nancy helped Washington's soldiers. They gave them food, a place to stay, and horses.
After the war, Andrew seemed to run an inn at the farm. He paid for a special license for an "ordinary" on February 18, 1794. An "ordinary" was a place where travelers could eat and stay. The farm was in a great spot for this. It was on the most direct road between Frederick, Maryland and Winchester, Virginia.
Civil War and Beyond
On September 9, 1807, Andrew sold the farm to John Locke. John's brother, George, then managed the inn. By this time, it was known as White House Tavern. By 1845, John's daughter, Eleanor Locke, lived in the house. She lived there with her husband, Joseph Morrow. Joseph was a farmer and also ran a blacksmith shop across the road.
During the American Civil War, an event happened at the farm. Major Harry Gilmor of the Confederate States Army and his men were resting there. A group of Union soldiers, led by Captain George Somers, attacked them. Major Gilmor shot and killed Captain Somers. His men took cover behind the barn during the fight.
The Morrow family and later owners updated the house in the late 1800s. They added a few more rooms. Between 1929 and 1940, Luther and Lelia Naylor owned the farm. They turned the old stone stable into a milking barn. They also built a silo for storing feed. The farm continued as a dairy until about 1950.
Col. and Mrs. Edward Blake bought the property then. Later, in 1974, it was passed on to John and Alice Blake Van Tol.
