History of the Jefferson County Historical Society
Version 2
October 21 2006
Complete except for 1977 to 2006 time period
On May 21st, 1927, a meeting was held at the Court House in Charles Town to organize a County Historical Society. The meeting was called to order by Miss Ella May Turner, who represented Jefferson County in the West Virginia Historical Society. A.D. Kenamond was made temporary chairman and Mrs. Lynne Grantham was made temporary secretary and treasurer. A constitution previously drafted by a committee was read by W.H.S. White and was discussed and modified by the group. Plans were made to meet for a meeting to permanent organization the first Saturday in August, 1927.
Saturday afternoon, August 6, 1927, a meeting for permanent organization of the Jefferson County Historical Society was held in the old college building in Shepherdstown. The minutes of the meeting held at the Court House in Charles Town on the afternoon of May 21 were read and approved. The constitution and by-laws were surveyed briefly by W.H.S. White. An instructive letter from Dr. Louis Knott Koontz of California was read by A.D. Kenamond. H.L. Snyder, editor of the Shepherdstown Register made a short talk in which he stressed the amount of historical material which Jefferson County possessed.
The following officers of the Society were elected: A.D. Kenamond, President; Miss Susan Gregg Gibson, Vice President; Mrs. L.F. Grantham, Recording Secretary; Miss Ella May Turner, and Corresponding Secretary; Miss Carrie B. Wilson, Treasurer; Six members of the Board of Directors were also elected: Miss Sally L. Powell, Mr. H.L. Synder, Miss Letitia Cary Ambler, Dr. Walter E. Dittmeyer, Mrs. G. B. Shaull, and Mr. Marshall McDonald. At that time, a total of 69 members were enrolled in the Society, which was taken as a sign of enthusiasm as well as interest in the work to be undertaken by the Society.
The first annual report of the Society, referred to now as The Magazine, appeared in December 1935. A. D. Kenamond continued as president and Wright Denny was vice president. Editorial Committee members were Mr. Kenamond, Dr. McDonald and Mrs Adrian Wynkoop, Sr. Mr. Kenamond continued as president and editor until 1950, when Major T.T. Perry, Jr. was elected president and served two terms.
In 1951 the Society became a part owner of the Hilleary House on South George Street in Charles Town. Under the will of Esta Burton Hilleary several organizations shared in this ownership. Mrs. Hilleary also left funds for the building of a fireproof vault at the rear of the room designated for the Society. The Rev. John W. Link of Shepherdstown, a member, built the vault as a volunteer project. Furnishings were donated, including bookcases for a growing library, as well as a number of relics.. Board meetings were held here in "The Hall of the Society." Membership meetings used a larger assembly room across the hall.
Mr. Kenamond was editing The Magazine throughout this period. In 1962 he wrote a series of 50 sketches which he called Prominent Men of Shepherdstown's First 200 Years 1762-1962, as a contribution to the Shepherdstown Bicentennial being celebrated that year. One sketch was published each week in the Shepherdstown "Independent," a weekly newspaper which has since ceased publication. In reality the sketches told the history of the town through tracing the lives of these individuals prominent in its early years. The sketches were widely read and acclaimed as historical material of permanent value. Mr. Frank Buckles, then president of the Society, led the move to publish Mr. Kenamond's 50 sketches as a book. Mr. Kenamond approved the plan and with some assistance supervised the printing. The work was financed by using funds from the Rumsey Legacy which would be repaid when the books were sold.
In 1969 the Board of Directors recommended that the membership of the Board be increased to 15, and this change was approved at a membership meeting. As the years went by, the Society's continued use of the Hilleary House became impractical. The vault was very damp and the items stored there had to be moved. The one big room was not large enough for membership meetings because of increased attendance. The cost of helping to maintain the house became prohibitive. In 1969 the books were moved to the Charles Town Library and placed in a locked case where they are available to persons wishing to use them. The relics were loaned to the Charles Town Museum.
On December 12, 1970, Alva Dane Kenamond passed away quietly, just eight months after his wife, Alice, died in April. He was 87 years old and most of his long life was spent in Jefferson County. Many feel that but for Mr. Kenamond's sustained interest and enthusiasm the Jefferson County Historical Society would never have been founded or have continued to prosper during the 39 years he was active in its affairs
In 1971 the Historical Society, in conjunction with the County Planning Commission, applied to the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the services of a consultant to survey the County's historic places and recommend steps to protect them. In 1972, Russell Wright, AIP, was invited to conduct a preliminary survey. After a three day visit he strongly recommended that a complete architectural-historic inventory be prepared for Jefferson County; that certain properties should be nominated for the National Register; that the entire town of Shepherdstown should be placed on the National Register as a district, and that efforts should be made to insure the early passage of enabling legislation to allowing the state of West Virginia to establish Historic District Zoning in the town. His recommendations were enthusiastically endorsed. The Historical Society voted to donate $750.00 of its legacy fund for the project. The Jefferson County Planning Commission, with Mrs. Robert Leonard as president, agreed to pay the remainder of the cost. Mr. Wright completed a "windshield" survey of the County in 1972 and volunteer workers carried on the detailed work in 1973. Certain parts of the County, notably Shepherdstown and Middleway Districts, were completed.
Of great importance was the passage by the West Virginia Legislature of Senate Bill 421 on April 10, 1973, introduced by Senators William Oates of Hampshire County and Mrs. Robert Leonard of Jefferson County. The bill provides that a municipality or county may establish an Historic Landmarks Commission which may designate "historic landmarks, buildings, structures and sites."
In March 1974, the Jefferson County Court, in accordance with the Oates-Leonard Bill, appointed an Historic Landmarks Commission of five members-one from each district. The appointees were: Middleway, Mrs. Leeds Riely; Harpers Ferry, Archie W. Franzen; Shepherdstown, Capt. John Schley; Kabletown, Dr. John Washington; Charles Town, Miss Emily A.M. Stanley. This Commission deals only with places outside municipalities, which are required to appoint their own commissions. Dr. John Washington was elected chairman of the Landmarks Commission which gave first priority to marking pre-Revolutionary structures in preparation for the 1976 Bicentennial.
A series of summer picnics was instituted in the early 1970’s to provide opportunities for the membership to meet in a social setting and to learn first-hand about the history of many of the county's oldest homes and families. The tradition continues today with annual pot-luck suppers and a short program centered about the history of the host location. Early events were held at Harewood and Traveler's Rest, Harpers Ferry, Belvedere, and Hazelfield.
The Society celebrated its Fiftieth Anniversary on Saturday, May 21, 1977, 50 years to the day that the Society was established. There was an unveiling of a plaque on in the courthouse in Charles Town marking the room in which the Society was organized followed by a celebration at the Zion Episcopal Parish House, one block to the east.
Note: This history was extracted from the following articles in the Society’s magazine:
- Creamer, Carmen, comp. "Minutes of the First Meetings of the Jefferson County Historical Society," Magazine of the Jefferson County Historical Society, Volume LXVI (December 2000): 62-67
- Schley, Linnie, “The First Fifty Years of the Jefferson County Historical Society,” Magazine of the Jefferson County Historical Society, Volume XLII(December 1977): 36-50
NOTE: A HISTORY FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS NEEDS TO BE COMPILED. I’LL BE WORKING ON THAT AS WE CONTINUE DEVELOPING THE SITE.
