Adam Stephen House is a historic home located at Martinsburg,

Berkeley County, West Virginia Berkeley County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the eastern panhandle region of West Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Hagerstown–Martinsburg metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, t ...

. It was built between 1772 and 1789, and is a -story, stone house measuring 43 feet, 5 inches, by 36 feet, 3 inches. It was the home of

Adam Stephen Adam Stephen ( – 16 July 1791) was a Scottish-born American doctor and military officer who helped found what became Martinsburg, West Virginia. He emigrated to North America, where he served in the Province of Virginia's militia under Geor ...

(c. 1718 – July 16, 1791). Built of shaped limestone, it stands on a prominent stone ledge, with two outbuildings in stone and log. After falling into near-ruin, iIt was restored in the 1960s by the General Adam Stephen Memorial Association and is open as a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that is preserved as a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a variety of ...

. The house was built over a natural cave, with stone steps leading down from the basement. A local caver's organization has worked since 2002 to excavate the cave, which had become plugged with earth, and the excavation is available for tours on open house days. The site also includes the Triple Brick House, a brick two-story building built into the embankment next to the railroad tracks that run close to the site. It was built about 1875, and was primarily for residential use, but may also have been a kitchen for dining cars on the B&O railroad line. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1970. It is located within the

South Water Street Historic District South Water Street Historic District is a national Historic district (United States), historic district located at Martinsburg, West Virginia, Martinsburg, Berkeley County, West Virginia. It encompasses 30 contributing buildings and one contrib ...

, listed in 1980.

References

External links

Washington Heritage Trail websiteGeneral Adam Stephen Memorial Association website
Buildings and structures in Martinsburg, West Virginia Historic house museums in West Virginia Houses completed in 1772 Houses in Berkeley County, West Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Martinsburg, West Virginia Stone houses in West Virginia 1772 establishments in the Colony of Virginia Museums on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Museums in Berkeley County, West Virginia {{WestVirginia-museum-stub