01/12/2026
George Washington was a regular visitor to “Old” Berkeley County, which, at the time, included all of Berkeley and Jefferson and part of present-day Morgan Counties until 1801. From the age of sixteen, George visited Bath, now Berkeley Springs, first, as a land surveyor working for Lord Fairfax, and he returned many times after.
Thomas, the sixth Lord Fairfax, lived near Mount Vernon and owned property in old Berkeley County. A very young George Washington surveyed the land for Fairfax, and continued to visit the area often. He would represent the area in the House of Burgesses and fought there during both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He would eventually own land within the boundaries of all three of the current counties.
George purchased lots in Berkeley Springs and built on them, but never lived there. The land was eventually sold to his nephew, Bushrod Washington. In present-day Berkeley County, George Washington worshipped at Hedges Chapel when he was in the area surveying. Not far from the chapel is Snodgrass Tavern. George Washington slept here. More than once.
On March 18, 1774, George leased 125 acres in what is now Jefferson County to William Bartlett for the planting of 100 peach trees and 100 winter apple trees in the “Barrens of Bullskin” in the Kabletown area in what was then eastern Berkeley County. The Washington-Bartlett venture is regarded as the beginning of the horticultural/orchard history of Berkeley County and West Virginia.
Happy Retreat, the home of George's brother, Charles, is located in Charles Town. Harewood, the home of George and Charles’ brother Samuel, also lies just outside of Charles Town. Harewood, completed in 1770, was the site of the marriages of Dolley Payne Todd to future U.S. President James Madison in 1784 and of Dolley’s sister Lucy to Samuel’s son George Steptoe Washington in 1793. While there are other Washington family homes in the immediate area, Harewood is the only one that has remained in the family.
Harpers Ferry was selected by George Washington as the site of the first federal armory and arsenal, the construction of which began in 1799. Harper's Ferry was of extreme importance because it sat at the convergence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, allowing for easier transportation and trade. The town would eventually become even more significant.