Davis House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
The Davis House 1795 photo by Justin A Wilcox
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Tracing the history of old buildings in Romney reveals secrets and stories. The Davis House lot was originally owned by Matthew Montgomery (DB 10 p 195), granted to him by the town trustees provided he build a dwelling. Records show that he applied for a license to run an "ordinary," i.e. a tavern of some sort. Bidinger lists several applications to keep an ordinary; plus being fined for retailing 1/2 pints of whiskey without a license and then a case where John Daughtery is accused of stealing a coat and wool stockings belonging to a David Potts from Montgomery's home, i.e. "ordinary."
Various sources (see Maurer) indicate that William Naylor owned the house by 1800 (DB info needed to confirm) and he gave the house to his daughter Leacy when she married Angus McDonald in 1827. On her death, after 9 children, in 1843, Angus inherited the house which he then sold to William Davis in 1849. And the Davis family lived there until the death of the last one, Mary Davis, in 1979. The property was then willed to the Library and the County Commissioners.
This property can be viewed by contacting the Hampshire County library.
Sources
Bidinger, Vicki Horton Hampshire County Minute Book Abstracts vol 1 1788-1802 Hampshire Review 1994
Maurer, Sydney "Building on History" Hampshire Review December 7, 2016
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historic_sites_in_Hampshire_County,_West_Virginia#/media/File:Davis_History_House_Romney_WV_2012_04_30_02.JPG