Hotel Warden & the Warden Family

Horace Pease built this Victorian home in 1875, known at that time as Hotel Warden. His son, John W. Pease extended the back wing of the house and added a tower in 1880. It was remodeled again in 1920 when most of the back wing and additional towers were built. Horace and his wife, Laura Hook Pease ran Hotel Warden from 1920 until Horace passed away in 1934. His grandchildren began the Warden family line. Between this period, the hotel’s businesses thrived, catering to travelers along the present-day Routes 259 and 55. The Warden house has stayed in the Warden family to the present age and is currently a private residence. 

William H. Warden came from Ayrshire, Scotland, and was an early settler in the Wardensville area. Lord Fairfax granted him land that was surveyed by George Washington in 1749, near the intersection of Routes 259 and 29. Warden built a fort in 1754 during tensions between the settlers and the Native Americans. The fort was burned down four years later by Native Americans who killed him and another man. His wife and son escaped but stayed in the area. William Warden, his son, went on to marry and raise children. Two of William’s children surveyed and platted land in what is now Wardensville. The town, originally called Trout Run, was later renamed Wardensville in honor of the two sons, Jacob and Benjamin Warden. 

Mason, Gary. Beyond the Great North Mountain: A History and Guide, December 15th 2016. Accessed August 1st 2020.

McKeever, Kenna. History of Wardensville, West Virginia, January 1st 1957. Accessed August 1st 2020.