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STATE:
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
West V i r g i n i a
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N A T I O N A L R E G I S T E R O F H I S T O R I C PLACES
INVENTORY
NOMINATION F O R M
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COUNTY:
1
Jefferson
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FOR NPS USE ONLY
ENTRY DATE
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Claymont Court
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HISTORIC:
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S T R E E T A N 4 NUMBER:
2% miles west of Charles Town on Route 13, 314 mile south of Route 13
C I T Y O R TOWN:
Char --- Town
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Second
STATE
COUNTY:
54
West V i r g i n i a
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[7 D i s t r i c t
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The Claymont Society For
Continuous Education, Inc.
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S T R E E T AND NUMBER:
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BOX 112
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STATE:
C l T Y O R TOWN:
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CODE
Jefferson
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Charles Town
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S T F E E T A N D NUMBER:
STATE
C l T Y O R TOWN:
Charles Town
COOE
H i s t o r i c American Buildings Survey
1937
D A T E OF SURVEY:
Federal
0
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S T R E E T A N D NUMBER:
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See l e t t e r dated June 30, 1977, from D r . Leonard Davis t o D r . Willaim M u r t a ~ h
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DESCRiPTtCH
CONDITION
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a Excellent
*%
(Check One)
0
-- 0
Good
Fo~r
0
Da~erboroted
(Check One)
Altered
0
Unoltered
Ruens
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0
Unexposed
( C t s c k One)
Original
Site
) E S C R I B E T H E P R E S E N T A N D O R I G I N A L ( f f k n ~ w n )P H Y S I C A L A P P E A R A N C E
"Claymont Court" i s a b r i c k Georgian c o l o n i a l mansion house p a i n t e d w h i t e
w i t h two a d j o i n i n g wings. The wings and t h e main u n i t a r e two and oneh a l f s t o r i e s and a r e covered by a g a b l e r o o f .
S i x dormers, f r o n t and back
b r e a k t h e l i n e o f t h e r o o f , and a huge chimney r i s e s a t each end o f t h e
main p o r t i o n and a t t h e end o f each a d j o i n i n g wing. A small r a i l e d o b s e r v a t i o n p l a t f o r m surmounts t h e roof o f t h e c e n t r a l u n i t . The p l a i n n e s s o f
t h e f r o n t i s r e l i e v e d by a s m a l l f l a t - r o o f e d p o r t i c o w i t h 1 o n i c columns a t
t h e e n t r a n c e . Wide g a l l e r i e s extend t h e l e n g t h o f t h e f i r s t and second
, s t o r i e s i n t h e r e a r o f t h e main p a r t o f t h e house, and a g l a s s sun porch
a d j o i n s t h e n o r t h wing. Two s m a l l e r two s t o r y b r i c k b u i l d i n g s w i t h
hipped r o o f s p i e r c e d by s q u a r e c e n t r a l chimneys a r e j o i n e d t o t h e main
house by s m a l l w a l l e d c o u r t s . A l l o f t h e b r i c k s a r e o f Flemish bond and
a r e (2%" x 2-4") x Q" (8%" x 8 3 ' 4 9 , i n s i z e .
"Claymont Court" i s d e f i n i t e l y placed i n a b e a u t i f u l s e t t i n g . The
m a n s i o n ' s s p a c i o u s lawn i s p l a n t e d w i t h a n a s s o r t m e n t of shrubs and t r e e s .
U n f o r t u n a t e l y , two t e r r a c e s a r e a l l t h a t remain o f t h e o r i g i n a l sevent e r r a c e d garden; however, t h e s e two t e r r a c e s a d e q u a t e l y add a crowning
touch t o t h e g r a c i o u s e s t a t e .
A s f a r a s c a n b e determined from e x i s t i n g r e c o r d s , t h e e n t i r e b u i l d i n g was
f i n i s h e d i n c. 1840.
**
a f t e r f i r e i n 1838
I I
\ .
LGNIFICANCE
PERIOD (Check One or More a
m
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Appropr#afe)
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:
0 Pre-Columbian
(7 16th Century
0 18th Century
0 20th Century
0 15th Century
17th Century
fi !9th Century
srrc~FIcDATEIS)nf Applraare end~nom)1899 (Bought by Stockton) 1943 ( B _ O U I
A R E A S OF SIGNIFICANCE(Check One or More em Appropriate)
Abor iginal
(7 Prehistoric
0 Historic
a Agriculhrm
0
Architecture
a
Commerce
0
'
Communications
a Conservotion
0
0
0
Education
Engineering
-
Industry
. .
'
Invention -
a Landscape
0
0
Political
--
Religion/Phi.
(Specify)
A
.
losophy
0
0
Science
Sculpture
a
Soc~ol/Human-
(7 Military
0
itarian
Theater
0 MUSIC
(7 Transportation
Architecture
Literatur.
Urban Planning
0 Other
F. J .
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P
ITATEMENT O F SIGNIFICANCE
Claymont Court is not only historically significant because it was built
by George washington's great nephew, Bushrod Corbin Washington, who later
became a local justice of the peace, representative in the Virginia House .
of Delegates, and representative in the General Assembly, but also because
it became the home of one of America's greatest authors, Frank Stockton,
and in 1943, the home of the well know philanthropist, R.J. Funkhouser.
It is also architecturally significant because it is the most pretentious
of the Washington homes in Jefferson County, far surpassing its neighbors
in size, luxury, and grounds.
Bushrod Corbin Washington built "Claymont Courtttin 1820. It was estimated
at $30,000 in value. In 1838, while Bushrod was in his first week of
service in the General Assembly at Richmond, his beautiful home was
completely destroyed by fire. I t is believed that the fire started when
the sparks of shelled corn cobs, which had been thrown into a fireplace,
were carried to the roof and ignited. However, this fire or a second one
which started shortly after, were not-entirelydisastrous because Bushrod
rebuilt his ante-bellum mansion, making it into the beautiful house it is
today. The exact date of its final construction is not known, but it is
believed to be around 1840.
The Washingtons lived here for many years, and during the Civil War, were
joined by many of their relatives when hostilities threatened the neighboring homes.
In June 1899, Frank Stockton, who is best remembered for his classic short
story "The Lady or the Tiger?" bought the property and remained there until
his death in April 1902. Stockton, who was born in Philadelphia in 1834,
worked for nearly fourteen years in Philadelphia and New York as a wood
engraver; in 1873, he became assistant editor of Saint Nicholas, and in
1879, he made his first outstanding success as the author of Rudder Grange.
Among his noteworthy works, mostly humorous, are "The Lady or the Tiger?"
(written in 1882), The Rudder Grange Abroad (written in 1884), The Cast*
Away of Mrs. Lecks and Mrs. Aleshine (written in 1886), and its sequel,
The Dusantes, (written in 1888, The Adventures of Captain Horn (written in
1899, and Mrs Cliff's Yacht (written in 1896). While living at "Claymont
Court," he composed many other popular novels including Kate Bonnet, the
famous romance of a pirate's daughter.
In 1943, R.J. Funkhouser, whose life can be compared to that of Horatio
:
, ,:
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* .
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-(July 1969)
* "
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
N A T I O N A L R E G I S T E R OF H I S T O R I C P L A C E S
INVENTORY
- NOMINATION FORM
(Continuation Sheet)
t
DATE
E N T R Y NUMBER
I
SIGNIFICANCE (Continued) No, 1
Alger, bought "Claymont Court." He had risen from the poor son of a country
store-keeper to the owner of the O'Sullivan Rubber Corporation and had interest
in such enterprises as the Funkhouser Company and the Victor Products Corporation. From his home at "Claymont Court," he did such acts for the community
as establish the Blakeley Bank and Trust Company and donated generously for
the construction of a local hospital.
( ~ m b e 811
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8.
G P O 921-724
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@jOR
B1BLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
Bushong, Millard K., Historic Jefferson County, Boyce:Carr Publishing Co.,
Inc., 1972.
"Claymont Court," MAGAZINE OF THE JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
December 1949, pp. 25-28.
L 4 T I T U F E A N C L O N G I ~ ' J O E COOPDINATE$
DEFINING T k c C t h T H R POINT O F A 2HOPERTY
O F LESS T H A N T E N ACRES
L A T I T U D E AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES
DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROOFRTY
:ORNER
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LATITUDE
I ~ e g r e e sMinutes Seconds
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ACREAGE
PROPERTY:
O F NOMINATED
COUNTIES
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LONGITUDE
FOR PROPERTIES
TATE:
39
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AME AND TITLE:
Ted &Gee,
Field Agent
ID A T E
RGANIZATION
West Virginia Antiquitiesn-
1 octob
. .
er 6, 197:
T R E E T AND NUMBER:
Old Mountainlair-West Virginia Univea
I T Y O R TOWN:
TATE
W e s t Virginia
1
34
NATIONAL REGtSTER VER1FICATlUN
As the designated State Liaison Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public L a w
89465). I hereby nominate this property for inclusion
I hereby certify that this property is included in the
National Register
i n the National Register and certify that it h a s been
evaluated according to the c-iteria and proce&res s e t
forth by the National Park Servlce. The recommended
Director, Office of Archeology and Historic P r e e e r v a t i a
level of significance of this nomination is:
Natio31
State
Local
0
y r i c e G. Brooks
Title S t a t e t o r i p P r p w a t i n n
Officer
Date.
June 26. 1973
Keeper of The National Register
Iiate .
G P O 931-89
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4000
5000
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1
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3000
Heavy-duty
7000 FEET
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Mediumduty
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ROAD CLASSIFICATION
1 MILE
I
U S. Route
I
a
L~ght-duty
Unimproved dlrt
= = = = = =:
0State Route
JTERVAL 20 FEET
MEAN SEA LEVEL
~ I O N A LM A P ACCURACY STANDARDS
L SURVEY, WASHINGTON, D. C. 20242
WS A N D SYMBOLS IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
MIDDLEWAY, W. VA.
QUADRANGLE LOCATION
Revisions shown i n purple compiled by the Geological Survey from
aerial photographs taken 1971. T h ~ sinformation not field checked
N3915-W7752.517.5
1955
PHOTOREVISED 1971
AMS 5462 IV SW-SERIES V854
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