Speakers Series, 2018: Walter Washington and John Allen, “History and Architecture of the Washington Family Homes”
Local historian and Washington family descendant Walter Washington and architectural historian John Allen will kick off the Historic Shepherdstown Commission’s 2018 Speakers Series on April 18 at 7 p.m. Their talk is entitled “History and Architecture of the Washington Family Homes of Jefferson County.”
Walter Washington restored and maintains Harewood, the historic home of his ancestor Samuel Washington, brother of George Washington. He is currently President of Friends of Happy Retreat, the home of Charles Town, WV founder Charles Washington. He is also a former chair of the Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission and former board member of the Jefferson County Historical Society.
John C. Allen, Jr. authored Uncommon Vernacular: The Early Houses of Jefferson County, West Virginia, 1735-1835, a comprehensive and meticulous exploration of the county’s historic houses. He is also former chair of the Jefferson County Historical Landmarks Commission.
The talk will take place in the auditorium at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education on the Shepherd University campus. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served after the presentation.
The 2018 Speakers Series will feature four additional programs:
- June 13, Karen G. Cooper, Shenandoah County Historical Society and Shenandoah Germanic Heritage Museum, “Germanic Heritage in the Shenandoah Valley.”
- September 12, Matthew Webster, Kate Hughes, Katie McKinney, all of Colonial Williamsburg, and Nicholas Powers, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley,”Artisans in the Lower Shenandoah Valley.”
- October 10, Dennis Frye, Chief Historian, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, “Antietam Shadows: Mystery, Myth & Machination.”
- November 14, Jerry Thomas, Professor of History Emeritus, Shepherd University, “From the Old South to the New in the Lower Shenandoah Valley: The Life and Times of Alexander Robinson Boteler, 1815-1892.”
All of the talks with take place at 7 p.m. at the Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education.
