Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House
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The clerk's office (1780s) of the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House
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 Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House
Location in Romney, West Virginia
Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House
Location in Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House
Location in West Virginia
Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House
Location in the United States
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| Location | 51 West Gravel Lane Romney, West Virginia, United States |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | (c. 1740s–c. 1780s) Kitchen structure (c. 1750) Clerk's office (1780s) |
| Architectural style | American colonial architecture |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001375 |
| Designated | August 22, 1977 |
The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House is a group of three old buildings in Romney, West Virginia. These buildings were constructed between the 1740s and 1780s. One of them, the clerk's office, built in the 1780s, is the oldest public office building still standing in West Virginia. The kitchen building, from around 1750, is the oldest part of the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House and the oldest building in Romney. Over time, this historic property has been known by different names, including the Andrew Wodrow House and the Mytinger House.
The first known person to live on the land where the house stands was Hugh Murphy. In 1763, Colonel George William Wilson bought the land from Murphy. Wilson was a major in the local army during the French and Indian War. He later moved to Pennsylvania. In 1770, George Washington even spent a night in a log cabin on this property!
After the American Revolutionary War, Andrew Wodrow moved to Hampshire County. In 1782, he became the county's clerk of court, which is like a main record-keeper for the government. He finished building the clerk's office in the 1780s. By 1790, the three buildings were arranged as they are today. Wodrow worked as clerk until he passed away in 1814. After him, the property was owned by his son-in-law, a doctor, and then the Mytinger family for about 100 years.
In 1962, Manning H. Williams bought the house and started restoring it. Dr. Herbert P. Stelling bought it in 1973 and opened it as a museum and craft shop called Colonial Craftsmen. While the Stelling family owned it, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This is a list of important historical sites in the United States. The current owners, Old Hampshire Ltd., bought the house in 1985.
Contents
Location and Surroundings
The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House is located at 51 West Gravel Lane in Romney, West Virginia. It sits on two old town lots, Number 48 and Number 58. Right next door to the east is Taggart Hall, another old house from the late 1700s. Across West Gravel Lane to the south is a parking lot. This used to be the site of Romney's Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery.
A Look Back in Time
Early Land History
The land where the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House stands was once part of a huge land grant called the Northern Neck Proprietary. This grant was given by King Charles II of England to some of his supporters way back in 1649. After some changes, the land eventually went to Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron in 1719.
Romney was not very populated by European settlers until the mid-1700s. Lord Fairfax wanted people to move to his lands. This led to towns like Romney being established. George Washington, who worked as a surveyor for Lord Fairfax, noted that many people lived near Romney by 1748. The first person to own the specific lot where the house is located was Hugh Murphy.
Gravel Lane, the street the house is on, was originally an old trail used by Native Americans. It was Romney's first main street. People even called it "the most historic lane" in the area.
The Wilson Family's Time
Colonel George William Wilson bought Lot Number 48 from Hugh Murphy in 1763. Wilson was a major in the local army during the French and Indian War. George Washington praised him for his bravery. Wilson didn't stay in Romney for long, moving to Pennsylvania between 1764 and 1768.
On October 9, 1770, George Washington supposedly spent the night in an old log house on this property. This was his last visit to Romney. Wilson later became a justice of the peace and supported the American Revolution. He died in 1777 while serving as a lieutenant colonel in the army. After his death, the property went to his son-in-law, Andrew Wodrow.
The Wodrow Family's Time
Andrew Wodrow was born in Scotland in 1752. He moved to Virginia in 1768 and started a successful import business. When the American Revolutionary War began, he stopped his business rather than trade with Great Britain. He then served in a political role for King George County.
Wodrow moved to Hampshire County after the Revolutionary War. In 1782, he became the county's clerk of court. He was the first clerk to actually live in Hampshire County. As a key official, he helped with land sales and was a wealthy landowner himself.
Wodrow is known for giving the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House its current look. In the 1780s, he built the wooden clerk's office, which was the last of the three buildings. This office became a busy place in Romney because Gravel Lane was the main street. Historians say the clerk's office showed that Romney was no longer just a frontier town but a more settled place. By 1790, the three buildings were likely in their current arrangement.
Wodrow remained clerk of court until he died in 1814. After him, the property was owned by his son-in-law, John McDowell, and then Dr. McClinoch, one of Romney's first doctors.
The Mytinger Family's Time
Tobias Mytinger bought the property in 1861. He was very involved in Romney's community. He served on the town council and the school board. Mytinger died in 1908, and his wife, Martha Virginia Mytinger, lived there until 1912. The Mytinger family owned the house until 1959. By then, many original parts of the house were still there, but it needed a lot of work. It didn't even have electricity, plumbing, or central heating!
Restoration by the Williams Family
Manning H. Williams bought the house from the Mytinger family in 1959. He started restoring the buildings in 1962. The clerk's office was the first to be worked on. Its wooden floors, stairs, and doors were kept. New windows were made, and old glass was used. The outside was painted white, and electric heating and insulation were added. Workers tried to match the original paint colors inside.
The main house, called "the dwelling," needed even more repair. Its floor beams and roof rafters were replaced, and a new cedar shingle roof was put on. Most of the brick chimneys were fixed. Some parts of the walls were opened up to show the old timber framing and how the walls were built. The outside was painted white, matching the original siding.
The kitchen building was cleaned and repaired. It got new wooden siding and a cedar shingle roof. All the porches connecting the buildings were rebuilt with cedar shingles. A white picket fence was built around the property, and a brick walkway was added.
The Stelling Family and Colonial Craftsmen
Dr. Herbert P. Stelling bought the house in May 1973. In October, it opened as a museum and craft shop called Colonial Craftsmen. Dr. Stelling's daughters and Gary Winkles ran the shop. They showed old craft skills and sold handmade items. In 1977, while the Stelling family owned it, the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Old Hampshire, Ltd.
In October 1985, Old Hampshire, Ltd. bought the house. This group included Bob and Estelle Odle, Tom Stump, Lowell Hott, and Dottie Eddis. At first, they thought about turning it into a bed and breakfast. But since 1988, they have used the main house as a veterinary clinic for animals. Hott and Eddis have continued to take care of and restore the house. They rebuilt the kitchen building's stone chimney and replaced the roof shingles in 2019. Lowell Hott said it has been "a labor of love" for them.
Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery
Just south of the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House, across East Gravel Lane, was the Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery. Andrew Wodrow, who owned the house, was an important member of the Presbyterian Church. In his will, he gave the land for the church and cemetery. The church was built between 1812 and 1816. Wodrow was buried in this cemetery.
However, by the late 1800s, the cemetery was not well cared for. Around 1940, the hill it was on was flattened to build a factory, destroying the cemetery. Some human remains and headstones were moved to Indian Mound Cemetery, but Wodrow's remains were likely lost.
What the Buildings Look Like
The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House is actually three separate buildings. They are different in size and how they were built. One historian called them a "charming" and "wonderfully straightforward" group. The three parts are:
- The kitchen structure (from around 1750)
- The residential structure (the main house)
- The clerk's office (from the 1780s)
The kitchen is at the back (north), the main house is in the middle, and the clerk's office is at the front (south), facing West Gravel Lane. Covered porches connect the buildings, so they can be used as one large property.
The Kitchen Building (c. 1750)
The kitchen building is the oldest part of the property and the oldest building in Romney, dating back to about 1750. It's a one-and-a-half-story building, made of hand-cut logs. The outside is covered with white wooden siding, and its roof has red cedar shingles. It has an entrance on its south side, connected to the main house by a porch. A large stone chimney is on its north side. Inside, the walls are painted white.
The Main House
The main house, or "the dwelling," is right in front of the kitchen building. It's also one-and-a-half stories tall. It's built with a wooden frame and has bricks inside the walls for extra strength. The outside is covered in white wooden siding. It has two large brick chimneys on its west side. There are entrances at the back and front, with windows on either side.
Inside, the main house has four rooms: two on the ground floor and two upstairs. Each room has a fireplace. The walls around the fireplaces are covered with wooden panels. The other walls are painted plaster. An enclosed staircase leads to the upper floor.
Historians say the style of this house is similar to buildings in Maryland from before 1730. It would have been a very fancy and expensive house for the Romney area back then. Its unique features, like the brick-filled walls and double chimneys, are not common in West Virginia. It might have been built for Lord Fairfax or his land agent.
The Clerk's Office (1780s)
The clerk's office is the largest building in the group. It's the oldest public office building still standing in West Virginia. It's a two-and-a-half-story wooden building. Its main entrance is on the west side, facing West Gravel Lane. The front and back of the building each have three windows on both the first and second floors. A one-story porch with wooden columns is attached to the front.
Each floor inside the clerk's office has a large room and a narrow hallway with stairs. The large room on each floor has a paneled fireplace wall on its north end. The wooden paneling around the fireplace on the first floor is very special. The second-floor fireplace wall is simpler. The other walls inside are painted plaster.
The Old Log House
The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House property used to have an old log house. This is where George Washington supposedly stayed in 1770. This log house was located at the northeast corner of the property until it was torn down in 1932.
See also
