Blakeley, near

Charles Town, West Virginia Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and is also the county seat. The population was 5,259 at the 2010 census. It is named for its founder Charles Washington, youngest brother of President George Washington. ...

is also known as the Washington - Chew - Funkhouser House, and was built in 1820 by John Augustine Washington II, great-nephew of

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 ...

and grandson of

John Augustine Washington John Augustine Washington (January 13, 1736–January 8, 1787; nicknamed "Jack") was a Virginia planter, slave owner and politician, perhaps best known as the younger brother of General (then President) George Washington or the father of Supreme ...

. It is a contemporary of its neighbor,

Claymont Court Claymont Court, or simply Claymont, is a Georgian-style brick mansion, the grandest of several built near Charles Town, West Virginia for members of the Washington family. The current "Big House" was built in 1840 for Bushrod Corbin Washington ...

, built across

Bullskin Run Bullskin Run is a stream in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Bullskin Run probably derives its name from the buffaloes which once roamed the area. See also *List of rivers of West Virginia This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of West Virgi ...

by John's brother, Bushrod Corbin Washington. John Washington did not attempt to match the grandeur of Claymont Court, as he was in line to inherit

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

, and did so in 1829.

Description

When it was originally built, Blakeley was a Federal style two-story brick house, three bays wide, with a western wing and a one-story portico. Renovations in the 1940s changed it to a five-bay structure, with a new

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

two-story portico and an elliptical transom over the front door. The interior of the main house has eight rooms with a central hallway.

History

Upon John Augustine Washington's death at Mount Vernon in 1832, his son, Richard Blackburn Washington, inherited Blakeley. In 1844 Richard married his cousin, Christian Washington of Harewood. In 1859, Richard was part of the

posse Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates. Posse may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Posse'' (1975 ...

that pursued

John Brown's Raiders On Sunday night, October 16, 1859, the abolitionist John Brown led a motley band of 22 in a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (since 1863, West Virginia). Most were much younger than him, and varied dramatically in social ...

. After the death of Richard's brother John Augustine Washington III in 1861 while fighting for the Confederacy, John's eight orphaned children came to live at Blakeley, joining Richard and Christian Washington's seven. In 1864 Blakeley was extensively damaged by fire, but was rebuilt by Richard. In 1875 Richard was forced to sell Blakeley and moved with his family to Harewood. The house was purchased by Louise Fontaine Washington Chew, the niece of Richard B. Washington. Chew's husband, Colonel R. Preston Chew was a local businessman, the president of the Charles Town Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company. The house was then sold in 1892 to John Burns, a local farmer and community leader. Blakeley was purchased in 1943 by industrialist Raymond J. Funkhouser, who undertook its restoration. Funkhouser had also purchased Claymont Court, which he used as his residence. It was Funkhouser who, feeling that a Washington house should be more grand, and wishing to complement Claymont Court, added the two-story portico. The interior was more carefully renovated, and in keeping with the historical record.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Houses in Jefferson County, West Virginia Washington family residences Federal architecture in West Virginia Greek Revival houses in West Virginia Houses completed in 1820 National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, West Virginia Buildings and structures in Charles Town, West Virginia