Links
Membership
in this Yahoo Group requires “joining,” yet family and those interested in
Peter Burr and his descendants are welcome to request membership. Allow up to
24 hours for approval; then enjoy searching through hundreds of files, photos,
and other information related to Peter Burr and his family. Participate in the message
board, and upload documents and information that will be of interest to others
in the group.
A donor-advised fund exists with the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation. Thhis fund is set up to help undergird support for historic properties (from 1750-1800) in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia especially the Peter Burr House, oldest wood frame structure in the state.
The
Peter Burr House is owned and protected by the Jefferson County Historic
Landmarks Commission.
The
Master Plan for the Peter Burr House is updated every five years and is due for
update by summer of 2010. How the plan will be revised is open for input. To
contact the Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission or channel your
ideas through us via “Contact Us” on this website.
html version of Dr Theriault's book on how and where to find history resources in Jefferson County, WV. ©2001
.pdf version of Dr Theriault's book on how and where to find history resources in Jefferson County, WV. ©2001
Newspaper
Article telling of completion of the first phase of restoration to the Peter
Burr House. The house fell into major disrepair and deterioration when it first
went into the hands of the local government. But equally major efforts were put
into place to restore the old house. Restoration continues in phases, but much
has been accomplished.
Enter
“Peter Burr House” in the search field to see info and photos of the Peter Burr
House and the associated Spring House prior to the beginning of restoration.
The
official site of the Aaron Burr Association. Peter Burr was a first cousin of
the Vice President, who due to the efforts of the Aaron Burr Association, is
slowly being redefined by history. Much evidence documents that Aaron Burr was
as much a victim of political character assassination as ever existed in our
political system.
As
new information is surfacing, some details published in years past needs
updating. The info on the historic marker is correct except for the acerage of
the land grant. Records have shown that Peter Burr’s father had two land
grants, one of 480 acres and the one where the house is located, which was only
406 acres. The Peter Burr House today sits on slightly less than 9 of those
original acres.
While much of the museum contains historic artifacts
related to the Civil War, the hanging of John Brown, and the decades of history
of George Washington’s family in the local area, a number of artifacts and
documents reflect Peter Burr or his children. Of greatest significance perhaps
is the copy of the deed where Charles Washington (George’s brother and founder
of Charles Town) sold property for the original Charles Town Presbyterian
Church. Peter Burr’s name is listed as one of the elders involved in the
transaction. Other artifacts include a Jacob Craft clock that belonged to Peter
Burr’s second son, James, and a dress worn most likely by Ann or a daughter of
James or Ann Burr.
Jefferson
County, WV is rich with American history. Named for Thomas Jefferson, the beautiful
county (referenced in John Denver’s “Country Roads”) is located about 60 miles
from Washington, DC and was a favorite gathering place for many of the founding
fathers during the time of Peter Burr.
At age 16, George Washington began encouraging his brothers to buy rich,
fertile land in the eastern panhandle of what is today West Virginia. George
and all of his brothers bought land grants about 1750, the same time Peter Burr’s
father was buying his two land grants. Upon the death of his older half brother
(Lawrence), George inherited Mt. Vernon. The remaining brothers and many of
their descendants built homes; a number of these still exist in Jefferson
County. Happy Retreat was the home of Charles Washington; Harewood was built by
Samuel Washington; and the property on which Blakeley-Claymont were built went
to John Augustine. Friends of Happy Retreat work toward preservation of those
properties and their website is rich with Washington family history.
A
full week of tours could easily be built around seeing the sites in the local
area that reflect the life and times of George Washington. The map on the home
page of this site shows the location of the Peter Burr House as it is located
on the Washington Heritage Trail. (Notice the section of map in the square; the
location of the Peter Burr House is shown at the bottom-most corner of the
section that looks like an arrow head.) Warm Springs Road, which ran through
Peter Burr’s property (about 200 yards east of the house) was an old Indian
path that served as a major route for settlers. George Washington would have used
this road as he traveled.
with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing
Historic Buildings. Because the Peter Burr House and the Spring House are both on
the National Register of Historic Places, then all renovation and restoration
must be done in accordance with established requirements.
