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PrintConversations with John C. Allen
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Admirers of grand old houses would cherish the chance to travel back in time to the 18th and early 19th centuries to visit the historic homes of Jefferson County in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle. Fortunately, John C. Allen Jr. has made time travel possible in his remarkable and comprehensive book, Uncommon Vernacular: The Early Homes of Jefferson County, West Virginia, 1735–1835 (West Virginia University Press, 2011).
Allen, a coordinator and architectural historian preservation who lives near Shepherdstown, serves as the chairman of the Historic Landmarks Commission of Jefferson County. He has been passionate about buildings since he was a child. “For as long as I can remember, old houses have fascinated me,” he says. “After moving to Jefferson County in 2001, I wanted to know more about the local architecture. The buildings here have a particular resonance with me. As you travel the local roads, you get brief glimpses of these ancient houses through the trees before they disappear behind a hill or curve in the road. There is a mysteriousness to them that I find compelling.”
Allen’s exhaustive seven-year survey documents and preserves 250 historic structures and landscapes—all part of his book. The description of each building is paired with detailed drawings by Andrew Lewis and black and white photographs by Walter Smalling Jr. Allen examines tradition and architectural innovation, from the plantation homes of the Washington family and grandest mansions to the log houses of the yeomen farms and the humblest dwellings. He connects these buildings to the history of the Shenandoah Valley and discovers a rich blend of German, Scots-Irish, English, and African cultures that transformed Jefferson County and led to the distinctive architectural style. “The whole project was very satisfying to be able to document these wonderful structures and preserve their details for posterity. The architecture of this area is packed with historic homes that are unlike houses elsewhere. There are so many treasures here.”
The exterior and interior of Hazelfield House.
The fertile rolling farmland of Jefferson County is situated on the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains between Maryland and Virginia in the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley. Named for Thomas Jefferson, it was established from part of Berkeley County in 1801. Its larger towns include Harpers Ferry, Ranson, Bolivar, Shepherdstown, and Charles Town, the county seat, which was founded by George Washington’s brother, Charles. Jefferson County encompasses 212 square miles and has a population of about 50,000. Originally belonging to Virginia, the county became part of the new state of West Virginia in 1863.
Turning the pages of Uncommon Vernacular, you can’t help but pick out your favorite country homes and architectural details: the beauty of the Hefflebower Mill House in Kabletown (1826) with its white portico and Greek Revival elements, the picturesque stone farmhouses, the impressive Piedmont in Charles Town (1790) with its center-hall, The Bower mansion in the Opequon Creek area (1806) with 12-foot ceilings, a second story bay window, and wraparound front porch, and the Scottish influenced Hazelfield in the Bardane vicinity (1815) with towering chimneys, gable entry, fanlight window, and its precedent setting traverse hall.
