Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park is a

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

located on

Blennerhassett Island Blennerhassett Island is an island on the Ohio River below the mouth of the Little Kanawha River, near Parkersburg in Wood County, West Virginia, United States. Historically, Blennerhassett Island was occupied by Native Americans. Nemacolin, ...

, a small island in the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

, located in Wood County, West Virginia, USA. The property was the site of a Palladian

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...

owned by

Harman Blennerhassett Harman Blennerhassett (8 October 1765 – 2 February 1831) was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, a member of the Society of United Irishmen who emigrated in advance of their rebellion in 1798 to become a socially and politically distinguished plantation o ...

, a participant in some of the alleged intrigues of

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

, and his wife Margaret Agnew.Gibbens, Alvaro F., ''Historic Blennerhassett Island Home'', Global Printing and Binding Co., Parkersburg, WV 1914. While the original mansion burned to the ground in 1811, a detailed replica, which can be toured, was built on its foundations in the 1980s. The Blennerhasset mansion greatly resembled

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

's Mount Vernon, due to its Palladian style. The park is accessed via sternwheeler riverboat from Point Park on 2nd Street in

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and ...

. The riverboat ride takes about 20 minutes each way.

Blennerhasset Museum of Regional History

The Blennerhasset Museum of Regional History operates in conjunction with the state park. The Museum is located two blocks from the riverboat landing at the corner of 2nd and Juliana Streets. Exhibits focus on the regional history of west and central West Virginia, and include household furnishings, art, clothing, and prehistoric Native American tools, jewelry, weapons and items. Admission is separate from the park.

Features

* Horsedrawn carriage rides * Restored 1802 Putnam-Houser House * Gift shop * Picnic shelters * Bicycle rentals * Hiking

Accessibility

West Virginia University assessed the park's

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

to the

disable Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, s ...

d in 2005, and rated its facilities as "accessible" by the standards of the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...

.''Guide to Accessible Recreation and Travel in WV'', WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities web site, accessed July 31, 2006

References

External links

Official website for state park

Official website for visitors' info/amenitiesCajoe Phillips, a former slave of the Blennerhassett Island Plantation
{{authority control History of West Virginia Ohio River State parks of West Virginia Protected areas of Wood County, West Virginia Historic house museums in West Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Historic districts in Wood County, West Virginia History museums in West Virginia Blennerhassett Island Museums in Wood County, West Virginia Georgian architecture in West Virginia Palladian Revival architecture in West Virginia Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Wood County, West Virginia Plantation houses in West Virginia Houses in Wood County, West Virginia Rebuilt buildings and structures in West Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia

Blennerhasset Museum of Regional History

Features

Accessibility

See also

References

External links