User:West Virginian/Washington Bottom Farm

Washington Bottom Farm (alternatively known as Ridge Dale, Ridgedale, and the George W. Washington House and Farm) is an early 19th century Greek Revival-style mansion and associated farm on a plateau overlooking the South Branch Potomac River approximately three miles southwest of Springfield in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Washington Bottom Farm is located in the unincorporated area of Ridgedale on Washington Bottom Road (West Virginia Secondary Route 28/3), off of Cumberland Road (West Virginia Route 28).

The mansion at Washington Bottom Farm, constructed in 1835, was the residence of gentleman farmer George William Washington (1809–1876), a descendant of George Washington's great-great-grandfather Reverend Lawrence Washington (1602–1653). Washington was an early proponent of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Hampshire County.

Civil War

Post war ownership

Washington Bottom Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2001 due to its locally significant Greek Revival architecture. It currently serves as the private residence of Carol and Mike Shaw.

Background
The land upon which Washington Bottom Farm is located was originally part of the "South Branch Survey" of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron's Northern Neck Proprietary. The "South Branch Survey" extended from the north end of The Trough to the confluence of the North and South Branches of the Potomac River. Lord Fairfax originally planned to maintain the "South Branch Survey" as his personal manor, but later commissioned James Genn to survey the South Branch Potomac River lowlands for sale and lease in 1748, with land lots ranging in size from 300 acre to 400 acre. The land tract was also surveyed around 1749 by George Washington.

The meander in the South Branch Potomac River on which Washington Bottom Farm is located was first settled in 1725 by Peter Peters. His son-in-law Richard Williams and his family settled on Peters' plantation and were residing there during an attack by Native Americans in 1755. After arriving home following his captivity by Native Americans, Williams established a settlers' stockade fort in the spring of 1756 known as Fort Williams. According to extant documentation, Fort Williams served as a settlers' fort even though militia were stationed there intermittently during the French and Indian War. George Washington, who was commissioned as "Colonel of the Virginia Regiment and Commander in Chief of all forces now raised in the defense of His Majesty's Colony," was given the task of defending Virginia's frontier with the establishment of forts. Washington authorized Captain Thomas Wagoner of the Virginia Regiment to provide militia support to any settlers' forts which were in need of support. Troops probably under Captain Wagoner's command were briefly stationed at Fort Williams in the spring of 1758. While no archaeological evidence of Fort Williams has been discovered, the fort is documented by the land tract's Northern Neck land grant deed.

Establishment of Ridgedale
George William Washington (1809–1876) and his wife Sarah (Sally) A. Wright (1811–1886) acquired ownership of the plantation after their marriage on February 19, 1830. Washington was the son of Edward Washington, a descendant of George Washington's great-great-grandfather Reverend Lawrence Washington (1602–1653), and was born near Pohick Church in Fairfax County, Virginia. Washington was well educated and respected. His wife Sally was the daughter of John Wright and his wife Rebecca Lockhart Wright of Wheatland in Loudoun County, Virginia, and the granddaughter of Major Robert Lockhart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Major Lockhart served on the Committee of Public Safety during the American Revolutionary War and served as a major in the Lancaster County militia. In 1817, Major Lockhart devised the Washington Bottom Farm land tract consisting of 700 acre to Sally, her brother, and her sister. It was not until after their marriage that Washington and his wife came into sole ownership of the property.

American Civil War
Dick Ashby died at WBF after the battle with Union forces. The incident took place on June 26, 1861, when Richard the brother of Turner Ashby, mortal

Exterior
The main residence at Ridgedale farm is a high-style Greek Revival structure. The three-story brick house stands on a brick foundation an has an L-shaped plan. The house has a hip roof with a central square cupola and a widow's walk. The cupola has a window on each side with a 4 over 4 double-hung sash, and brackets under the roof edge. On the roof are five chimneys, one at each corner and one in the back ell with a slightly flared edge of corbels at the top, and a recessed panel in the center face.

The front, or south elevation, has a center hipped wooden porch with steps. The porch has a spindled handrail, wooden posts and deck, and small brackets under the eave. The main entrance is centered with a single transom and has a Greek Revival feature of a wide trim piece over the doorway. The house has five bays on each floor. The windows on the house are all double-hung sash except for the third floor which has small lozenge windows of three vertical lights in the frieze section. With pine sills and brick lintelsthe first floor windows are 6/9 sash and reach to the floor in the front two rooms. The second floor windows are 6/6 sash.

The residence's west elevation is divided into two sections with the front portion of the house and the rear ell. Each section has three bays on each floor with 6/6 sash windows on the first and second floor and lozenge windows on third floor of the front section. The rear ell is slightly set back from the facade and has a kitchen porch on the first floor with wooden posts. A lower level door leads into a basement room, and the first floor door leads into the kitchen. The basement windows are 3/3 sash windows

The north side of the ell is a blank brick wall with a single lower level entrance that has a brick stairwell and original beaded door.. The north side of the main house has two 6/6 sash windows.

The east façade of the house has the front portion to the left with a small center porch, which matches the details on the front porch with wooden posts and a spindled handrail. There are small brackets under the eave and lattice covers the area under the porch. The porch is accessed from the two 6/9 sash windows from the front and back room, which reach to the floor. Above these openings are two 6/9 sash windows on the second floor and lozenge windows at the third floor. The right side of the house is recessed back for the rear ell which has a two-story porch. The porches were enclosed in the 1940s with glass windows, and were updated in 2010 with 4/4 casement windows and transoms and brick stairs. The wooden floor remains in its original condition.

Interior
The interior of the residence has good integrity with original wooden floors, wooden trim, a wide center hall with curved stairs, 12'ceilings, and six panel doors, some of which have graining. The trim on the second floor with 11' ceilings is simpler with narrow closets in the bedrooms having been added after 1939. The doorways on this floor have transoms opening into the hallway. Two bathrooms were added at the front end of the hall with pocket doors and transoms. The 3rd floor has 9' ceilings which angle and the low lozenge windows and face nailed pine floor. A narrow dog-leg stairway leads to the cupola and a door opens out to the widow's walk. A dog-leg stairway also connects to the second floor of the rear porch.