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National Register of Historic Places, Jefferson County, WV
Item 59 of 78

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Charles Town was laid out and established in the 1780s by Charles Washington around a public square where the Jefferson County Court House stands. In addition to the connection to the Washington family, Charles Town was the site of the 1859 trial and execution of John Brown, several Civil War engagements, the first Rural Free Delivery of Mail in 1896, and the treason trials of Logan County miners and union leaders after the Mine Wars. The Downtown Charles Town Historic District includes the central blocks of the town extending down Washington, Liberty, and Congress Streets. Of the 238 structures documented within the Historic District boundaries, 87% were considered contributing to the historic and architectural nature of the District.

Charles Town Historical Marker

Landmark, Signage, Commemorative plaque, History

Map of the Historic District

Text, White, Line, Schematic

Charles Town was established in 1787 by Charles Washington, younger brother to George Washington. George and Lawrence Washington both owned large amounts of land in (then) Berkeley County, and when Lawrence died in 1752 younger brothers Charles and Samuel inherited land in the area. Charles’ property was called “Happy Retreat” and he had eighty acres divided into ½ acre plots to lay out the town in 1786. Charles named the streets after his family—Lawrence, Charles, Samuel, George, Mildred, and Washington—and for the new United States—Liberty and Congress. In his plan Charles designated the corner lots at George and Washington Streets as a public square—the Court House, City Hall, Market House, and Jefferson County Jail (now post office location) were constructed in these lots. Jefferson County separated from Berkeley County in 1801 (named for President Thomas Jefferson) and Charles Town was chosen as the county seat due to its location and the public square laid out by Washington.

Charles Town was the site of the 1859 trial and execution of John Brown after his raid on Harper’s Ferry. Brown and two of his men were tried at Charles Town because it was the county seat and Brown was hanged on December 2, 1859 at a site on the east side of S. Samuel Street. During the Civil War, Charles Town was constantly in the path of the armies due to its location at the top of the Shenandoah Valley near both Harpers Ferry and the B & O Railroad. The town was occupied for much of the war and eighteen engagements occurred at Charles Town, including two major engagements in May 1862 and October 1863.

Charles Town was the site of the first experimental Rural Free Delivery of Mail in 1896. While mail delivery was standard in urban areas, there was no mail delivery for the 65% of Americans who lived in rural areas. After a couple years of hashing out the proposal and budget in the U.S. Postal Service and Congress, Postmaster General William L. Wilson was able to start the first experimental service in Charles Town and the service quickly expanded nationwide.

Charles Town was also the site of the 1922 treason trials of union leaders and miners from the 1919-1922 Mine Wars in Logan County.

The Downtown Charles Town Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. At the time, the historical integrity of the district was high, with only 13% of the structures labeled as non-contributing. The District extends down Washington, Liberty, and Congress streets and dominant architectural styles include Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, and Classical Revival. 

“National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Downtown Charles Town Historic District.” Accessed December 10, 2020. http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/jefferson/97000263.pdf.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

"Charles Town." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed December 21, 2020. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=1650.

“National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Downtown Charles Town Historic District.” Accessed December 10, 2020. http://www.wvculture.org/shpo/nr/pdf/jefferson/97000263.pdf.