Beall-Air, also known as the Colonel Lewis William Washington House, is a two-story

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

ed brick

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

in classical revival style near

Halltown, West Virginia Halltown is an unincorporated community situated along Flowing Springs Run in Jefferson County, West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atl ...

. It was the home of Colonel Lewis William Washington, great-great nephew of President

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

and hostage in

John Brown John Brown most often refers to: *John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to: Academia * John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...

's raid on

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac River, Potomac and Shenandoah River, Shenandoah Rivers in the ...

. The original house, now the rear portion of the house, is believed to have been built by Thomas Beall prior to 1800. Beall's daughter Elizabeth married

George Corbin Washington George Corbin Washington (August 20, 1789 – July 17, 1854) was a United States representative from the third and fifth districts of Maryland, serving four terms from 1827 to 1833, and 1835 to 1837. Early life and education Washington was bo ...

in 1807. George Corbin was the grandson of

Augustine Washington Augustine Washington Sr. (1694 – April 12, 1743) was a Virginian planter and merchant. Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, he was the father of 10 children, among them the first president of the United States, George Washington, soldier an ...

, half-brother of George Washington. The present front of the house was added in 1820.

Description

The main (1820) portion of the house is a two-story stucco-faced brick structure on a stone foundation. The corners of the three-bay house are thickened by pilasters, with a similar frieze-like thickening extending horizontally above the second floor windows. The front, or south elevation has a small portico with a flat roof and four Ionic columns. The front door has sidelights and an overlight, echoed by the second floor window immediately above the portico. The east and west ends have stepped gables with central chimneys and the "shadow" of a porch. A small 2½ story structure to the north of the main house connects to the main house with a two-story link. This structure has a gabled roof with dormers and is also stuccoed. Its windows are late 18th century in detail.

The Harpers Ferry Raid

Lewis William inherited several relics of George Washington, including a sword allegedly given by

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

to Washington and a pair of pistols given by Lafayette. John Cook, who served as John Brown's advance party at Harpers Ferry, befriended Washington and noted the relics, as well as the slave population at Beall-Air. Brown was fascinated with the Washington relics. During Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry a detachment from his force led by Cook seized the sword and pistols along with Washington at Beall-Air, taking along three of Washington's slaves. The hostages were taken to Harpers Ferry by way of the Allstadt House and Ordinary, where more hostages were taken. All survived their captivity, and Washington identified Brown to the Marine rescue party. During the assault on

John Brown's Fort John Brown's Fort was initially built in 1848 for use as a guard and fire engine house by the federal Harpers Ferry Armory, in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Harpers Ferry, Virginia (since 1863, West Virginia). An 1848 military report described ...

, a saber thrust by Marine Lieutenant Green at Brown was allegedly deflected by the belt buckle securing the Washington sword.

References

{{authority control Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Washington family residences Houses in Jefferson County, West Virginia John Brown (abolitionist) Neoclassical architecture in West Virginia Plantation houses in West Virginia Houses completed in 1820 National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, West Virginia Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, West Virginia 1820 establishments in Virginia