| White House Farm Aerial View 1 -- Farmhouse 2 -- Old Barn 3 -- Springhouse 4 -- New Barn |
| Changes in Ownership 1928 to Present 1928: JW Hunsicker to Luther & Lelia Naylor 1940: Naylors to Katie Gracey 1944: Gracey to Joseph & Annie Macdonald 1950: A. Macdonald to Ed & Elizabeth Blake 1984: John & Alice (Blake) Van Tol to Claude & Delores Archer 1998: Delores Archer to today's caretakers |
| WHITE HOUSE FARM HISTORY (1863-Present) On June 20, 1863 the state of West Virginia was created from the western lands of Virgnia, insuring that the Eastern Panhandle counties of Jefferson (where the farm is located), Berkeley, Morgan, and others would gradually lose their connections to the Old Dominion. Between 1863 and 1930 the property changed hands four times and the exterior appearance was altered dramatically. The photograph below taken for the U.S. Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in the 1937 shows a Victorian-style front porch with a center stairway and the two gables depicted inTaylor's 1863 sketch. Additional gables were added at a later date and the attic was converted into more liveable space. In about 1950 a new kitchen and back porch were added, and in 1995, an additional bathroom and large den were added to the east side of the house. Between 2000 and 2003, the kitchen was remodeled, the adjoining utility room was converted to a breakfast room, the three fireboxes were rebuilt and dampers were added to two of the chimneys, three bathrooms were remodeled, an exercise room was converted to a large master bedroom suite, the front porch was renovated, culinary and medicinal herb gardens surrounded by a picket fence were established, a formal Williamsburg-style garden was created behind the house, two antique-brick pathways were constructed to improve access to the back and front entrances, the rock break to the west of the house was cleared and populated with bulbs, and a post and rail fence was built along the back and west side of the area adjacent to the house. During that period the exterior and roof of the house was also repainted. |
| The Farmhouse shown in about 1937 (photo from the Historic American Buildings Survey: http://www.cr.nps.gov/habshaer/) |
| Changes in Ownership 1886-1913 For a detailed chronology of ownership, click here 1886: George Baylor to Ruthven & Lillie Morrow (see photos below) 1886-1905: research incomplete 1905: Farm sold to J.W. Hunsicker 1913: 143 acres split into 3 parcels: * 60+ acres & house * 35 acres across road (to Sagle) * 46 acres on north (to Snyder) |
| The farm in about 1952, when it was being used as a dairy barn by Colonel and Ms. Edward Blake. |
| Ruthvan W. & Lillie W. Morrow (photos courtesy of Dale Morrow) |
| Tin-type ca 1900 found in 2001 behind dining room mantle. Probably members of the Morrow Family. |
