Richwood Hall, also known as Richwoods, is a house 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. ...

. The lands once belonged to

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 ...

, who received them from

Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (22 October 16939 December 1781), was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and Catherine Colepeper, daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper. The ...

and subsequently gave to his brother, Samuel Washington. It was Samuel's son,

Lawrence Augustine Washington Lawrence Augustine Washington (April 11, 1774 – February 15, 1824) was a nephew of United States President George Washington and son of Samuel Washington and his fourth wife, Anne Steptoe. Lawrence was born at Harewood in what is now Jefferso ...

, who built or moved into the house with his bride, Mary Dorcas Wood, in 1797. This original house now forms a wing of the present enlarged house. The Washingtons lived at Richwoods until 1802, when they sold the property to Smith Slaughter. By 1829 the house had been enlarged, either by Slaughter or his successor, Joseph Shewater. In any case, materials, including bricks and carved wood were imported from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. At the time of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

the property belonged to John R. Flagg. Forces under the command of General Jubal A. Early fired from Richwood Hall at Union forces under Sheridan at Locust Hill.

References

American Civil War sites in West Virginia Neoclassical architecture in West Virginia Federal architecture in West Virginia Houses completed in 1797 Houses in Jefferson County, West Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia Jefferson County, West Virginia in the American Civil War National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, West Virginia Washington family residences {{AmericanCivilWar-stub