| Frequently Asked Questions about the Farm * Located in Summit Point, WV, about 1-1/2 hours west of Washington DC * 1740: Farm established by Dr. John McCormick, Scots-Irish immigrant, on 395 acres purchased from Jost Hite, a German land developer. * 1742: Three-room stone farmhouse completed. A springhouse and barn were built about the same time. Barn is the oldest standing barn in West Virginia * 1752: Farm surveyed by George Washington at age 20 with the aid of McCormick's sons * 1768: Bequeathed to son Andrew and operated by Andrew and wife as a tavern * 1807: Farm purchased by John Locke whose brother George ran the tavern * Listed #19790829 79002583 in the National Register of Historic Places * A spring on the property has provided water to local citizens for over 200 years |
| This site last updated December 30, 2009 |
| White House Farm is located in Jefferson County, WV, near the small town of Summit Point, WV, about 6 miles from Charles Town. For more about present-day Jefferson County please click here for a detailed history of the county, click here and to visit the Jefferson County Historical Society, click here. The farm's mailing address is 3735 Summit Point Road, Charles Town, WV, 25414. As shown in the collection of pictures on this and the following pages, the farm consists of a ca. 1742 farmhouse, a stone barn and springhouse of about the same age, a wooden smokehouse, and 60+ acres of pasture and woods. The farm has a rich history as summarized beginning below and on the following pages. On June 17, 1730, John and Isaac VanMeter petitioned the Virginia Colony Council for 40,000 acres in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1731 they transferred 30,000 acres to Jost Hite, a German immigrant, under a patent. The land, then located in Orange County, Virginia, (see 1734 map below) was surveyed by Robert Brooke on 26 March 1734. In May 1740, Mr. Hite sold 395 acres to Dr. John McCormick, a Scots-Irishman. for 8 pounds, 5 shillings. By 1742, Dr. McCormick had built a three-story, two-room farmhouse. Dr. McCormick was a prosperous and prominent country doctor, as evidenced by the inventory of his estate completed upon his death in 1768. His will and the admini- strations are found in the Frederick County archives in Winchester, VA, since Frederick County was formed in 1743. He and his wife Ann had 6 sons (James, Francis, John Jr., William, George, and Andrew) and two daughters (Mary, wife of Magnus Tate, and Jean, wife of James Byrn). James McCormick served as the chain carrier and John Jr. as the pilot on several of George Washington's surveys (1), White House Farm was noted for the horses bred there during Dr. McCormick's lifetime.(2) References: (1) The George Washington Papers, Library of Congress (2) Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, published by the Virginia Historical Society Acknowledgement: Ann Shoemaker, Andrew McCormick's great- great-great-great-grand-daughter contributed information to this history. Note: Dr. McCormick's grandson, Province, whose father was Francis McCormick, established a nearby farm known as Lang Sine in the 1790's, which is presently being restored by the owners and is described on their web site: http://langsinefarm.com |
| WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT THE FARM? |
| Typical Virginia Patent House and stone addition. May approximate original appearance of White House Farm |
| E-MAIL the White House Farm Webmeister by clicking: cmasonwhf@aol.com |
| History of White House Farm--Part I. |
| This history is continued on a number of web pages which follow. Just click on each of the "Next" Buttons to follow the history from 1742 to the present. |
| The farm in 1952 |
| Restoration of the stone barn, the oldest standing barn in West Virginia, was completed in January 2005. A detailed description of the restoration can be found by clicking our barn restoration web page For a similar narrative about our 2001 restoration of the springhouse click here |
| The farm as sketched by James Taylor in 1863, showing the springhouse (foreground) and a corner of the blacksmith shop (far right) which attracted troops from both the Confederate and Union armies. From the James Taylor Sketchbook, reproduced with permission of the publisher, the Western Reserve Historical Society. |
| Recent Events December 2009: A pre-Christmas two-foot snowfall and sub-freezing temperatures made for a white Christmas October 2009: The farmhouse roof received two coats of new paint thanks to the diligent efforts of Ben Mauk and company, roof painters par excellence. September 21 2008: The Potomac Pedalers Touring Club of the Washington DC metropolitan area once again hosted their 100 mile bicycle tour through Jefferson County WV and Clarke County, VA, past many historic properties and districts. The springhouse meadow at White House Farm was selected as the rest stop at Mile 27, where riders dismounted and enjoyed sampling the food and drink and listening to Charlie Casabona, Jay Hurley (shown below right) and Genevieve O'Loughlin play Celtic and colonial American folk songs. To see and hear a clip of the rest stop happenings click here, or to hear and see Charlie's group play, click here February 24 2008: Washington's Birthday Celebration. The White House was filled with an abundance of conversation, laughter, music, and good cheer as over seventy historically-minded guests celebrated the 266th birthday of our former neighbor, General George Washington (see photos below). |
| WELCOME!! to historic White House Farm in the Beautiful "Valley of Virginia" |
