The Col. James Graham House is a historic

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

located on

West Virginia Route 3 West Virginia Route 3 is a state highway in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It runs from West Virginia Route 10 in West Hamlin in a general easterly direction via Beckley to West Virginia Route 311 at Sweet Springs, most of the way across t ...

Lowell, West Virginia Lowell is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River, east of Hinton and southwest of Alderson. The community was first settled in 1770 and is the oldest community in Su ...

. It was built in 1770 as a home for Col. James Graham, the first settler of Lowell, and his family. It was later the site of an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

attack on the Graham family in 1777. The house was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on March 16, 1976. The Graham House is the oldest multi-story log cabin in West Virginia. It is currently operating as a museum.

History

James Graham and his family built the cabin in 1770 after migrating to the area from elsewhere in Virginia. As the Grahams were the first permanent settlers in the region, the Graham House became the first established home in what is now

Summers County Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,959. Its county seat is Hinton. The county was created by an act of the West Virginia Legislature on February 27, 1871, from pa ...

. The log house, with a exterior, was significantly larger than other pioneer cabins of the period. The Graham family settled into a life of farming in the home upon its completion. In 1777, Indians attacked the Graham House, killing Col. Graham's son John, a neighbor of the Grahams named McDonald, and a young slave boy as well as kidnapping Col. Graham's daughter Elizabeth. The family did not successfully ransom Elizabeth until 1785. The Graham House remained in the Graham family until 1860. After 1860, several other families inhabited the cabin, including Col. Wilson Lively's family and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis E. Barickman. The last residents of the house (from 1976 - 1986) were Eileen and Bill Muhly, Jr. and their six children. The youngest two, twins Mary Elizabeth and James Arthur Bertram were born while the family resided there. The house is currently owned by the Graham House Preservation Society and operated as a museum.

Description

The Graham House is notable as being a particularly large house compared to other log cabins of the period. The exterior of the house measures by , and the cabin consists of two floors and an attic, including a ceiling. The house is built of poplar,

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of a drupe of any tree of the genus ''Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. Although culinarily considered a "nut" and used as such, it is not a true ...

, and

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

logs, with stones used as additional supports. Large stone chimneys are located at either end of the house. The house was likely built with a single door and no windows, but an additional door and several windows were added at a later date. The first floor consists of a single room, and at one point was split into three rooms; the second floor has three rooms. The house's original outbuildings were eventually replaced by additions on the north side of the house, the latest of which was built in the 1970s and includes bathing and kitchen areas. Col

Museum

The Graham House is currently operated as a private museum, with tours given during summer months on weekends. The house is also used as a venue for community events such as dinners, festivals, and reunions. On the same property as the Graham House lies the Saunders One Room School House Museum. The school house, while not an original school building, allows visitors to see an example of a one-room school house. The property also houses a barn which contains many pieces of old farm equipment.

References

External links

Graham House Preservation Society
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Col. James, House Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Houses completed in 1770 Museums in Summers County, West Virginia Historic house museums in West Virginia Historic American Buildings Survey in West Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Summers County, West Virginia Houses in Summers County, West Virginia 1770 establishments in Virginia Log buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia