This museum is located adjacent to the General Adam Adam Stephen House. Stephen was born in Scotland around 1718 and gained a degree in surgery in 1746 in Edinburgh. Stephen came to America in 1748 and practiced medicine in Fredericksburg, Virginia after purchasing land in Frederick County. This property is now part of Jefferson County, West Virginia.&nbsp;Adam Stephen established a military post on the Virginia border in 1754 at the start of the French and Indian War and was serving was with Colonel Washington and General Braddock at the start of that conflict. In 1770, he obtained land by the Tuscarora Creek in what is now Berkeley County. He surveyed,&nbsp;divided, and sold this land to develop the town of Martinsburg and served as a general in the American Revolution.&nbsp; &nbsp;Adam Stephens later gave in an important&nbsp;speech at the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1788 that helped to persuade the Virginia delegates to approve the United States Constitution. He also wrote an&nbsp;article in 1789 for the Virginia Gazette that was titled "Expostulations on the Potomack" which endorsed the location of the federal capital on the Potomac River. Adam Stephen passed away in Martinsburg on July 16, 1791 and is buried in a family cemetery that is now located at the 600 block of South Queen Street in Martinsburg.&nbsp;

This is the main sign to the Adam Stephens House and the Triple Brick Museum.

This is the stunning view of the Triple Brick Museum. As seen, there are several visitors of the museum.

Located in a brick house constructed by Philip Showers in 1874 and rented to railroad workers and their families, this museum includes exhibits related to the history of Martinsburg in the 19th century including surveying equipment, flax and wool spinning wheels, quilts, railroad items, pottery and glassware, and numerous other items connected to the industrial, social, and cultural history of the town. The museum also includes fossils, original stone tools and arrowheads, and an assortment of military uniforms from various American wars. The museum also includes pottery shards that were discovered during archaeological excavations on the Adam Stephen House property.

The Triple Brick Museum

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Various locations in the eastern panhandle.

This museum is located adjacent to the General Adam Adam Stephen House. Stephen was born in Scotland around 1718 and gained a degree in surgery in 1746 in Edinburgh. Stephen came to America in 1748 and practiced medicine in Fredericksburg, Virginia after purchasing land in Frederick County. This property is now part of Jefferson County, West Virginia.&nbsp;Adam Stephen established a military post on the Virginia border in 1754 at the start of the French and Indian War and was serving was with Colonel Washington and General Braddock at the start of that conflict. In 1770, he obtained land by the Tuscarora Creek in what is now Berkeley County. He surveyed,&nbsp;divided, and sold this land to develop the town of Martinsburg and served as a general in the American Revolution.&nbsp; &nbsp;Adam Stephens later gave in an important&nbsp;speech at the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1788 that helped to persuade the Virginia delegates to approve the United States Constitution. He also wrote an&nbsp;article in 1789 for the Virginia Gazette that was titled "Expostulations on the Potomack" which endorsed the location of the federal capital on the Potomac River. Adam Stephen passed away in Martinsburg on July 16, 1791 and is buried in a family cemetery that is now located at the 600 block of South Queen Street in Martinsburg.&nbsp;

The statue includes the names of 41 soldiers from the area who served in World War I, including a list of nurses and a separate&nbsp;list of African American soldiers. The statue depicts a typical infantry soldier whose left arm is extended forward. The soldier clutches a rifle in his other arm and is wearing a helmet with a brim and chin strap around his neck. He stands on the base with bronze plaques attached.The dough-boy statue was made with graphic region stone, built to honor the citizens of Berkeley County by the Berkley County Memorial Association. The statue was created by Walters A. Sinz of Cleveland who also created World War I monuments for communities in Pennsylvania and Michigan.&nbsp;The term "dough-boy" started as an insult leveled on infantrymen by members of the cavalry during the Mexican-American War. Given the transition from cavalry to infantry that occurred in the next twenty years, the term soon took on a different meaning as infantrymen took the leading role and changed the meaning of the term.

The Doughboy statue honors the infantry soldiers from Martinsburg and throughout Berkely County who served in the United States Army during the first World War. The statue was dedicated on New Year's Eve on 1925 and built by donations from local citizens. Many of these donations were secured through the efforts of the women of the American Legion Auxiliary, who solicited donations from local residents throughout the county on behalf of the Berkeley County Memorial Association. 

Doughboy Statue, Martinsburg WV

The Apollo Civic Theatre was built to replace the old Central Opera House. Harry and Mary Elizabeth Thorn took the undertaking after the sudden loss of their son as a way to occupy their time and minds and bring joy to others. They saw a need for a facility in downtown Martinsburg to provide entertainment for the city. This three story, Classical Revival style building has served multiple 
purposes – presenting motion pictures, plays, and touring shows such as 
vaudeville, music groups, singers, and comics. The Apollo continues to 
provide a venue for classic films, as well as community gatherings such 
as weddings, parties, dances, etc. – along with its 6-play season and a 
Youth Summer Theatre Workshop. Its most striking features are the 
repeated segmental arches over each bay, in addition to triple-sash 
transoms; the bracketed cornice is also distinctive, with a brick 
balustrade above. The theatre would become home to motion pictures, plays, Vaudeville acts, musicians, singers, comics and more throughout the years. The theatre opened on January 19, 1914 with a huge ceremony and gala. Since 1914 the Apollo has remained a focal point of entertainment for the community at large. In 1937 the front of the Apollo got an addition in the form of the Marquee, complete with flashing lights and overhang. It lasted until structural issues caused it to collapse in 1987. The theatre was renamed in 1936 to "Martinsburg Little Theatre" and then in 1939 to "Berkeley County Civic Theatre" and stayed until 1989. In 1989 the theatre was changed yet again to the current "Apollo Civic Theatre" and the name has stuck since. The theatre has also been the subject of some paranormal activity and investigation. An investigation ended with a positive note from the Spirit Chasers organization: "we did not have any “bad” or “negative” experiences.&nbsp; These spirits are quite friendly."

In 1913, the Apollo Theatre became the social and cultural center for the Martinsburg area. It was built by owner H.P. Thorn and designed by architect Reginald Geare, notable for designing the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington DC. 

Apollo Civic Theatre

Maria Isabella "Belle" Boyd was born into a family with wealth and strong ties to the South. Belle's entire family supported the Confederacy and her father served as a soldier in the Stonewall Brigade. In addition to her exploits, at least three other family members were arrested for their clandestine activities in support of the Confederacy. Boyd spent part of her childhood in this house, which was built in 1853. During the war, she supplied information to Stonewall Jackson about enemy activities and was imprisoned twice before being banished to England. One of her most notable accomplishments as a spy came in May of 1862, when Boyd managed to obtain information crucial to the Confederate cause and gave her side the details needed to help Stonewall Jackson's forces recapture the town of Front Royal. Two months later, Boyd was once again arrested for her work for Confederacy. After this arrest, Boyd was sent to Old Capitol Prison in Washington, D.C., where she spent a month behind bars. After her release, she refused to stop her work. She set sail for England in May 1864 to transport Confederate papers. Boyd's ship was stopped by a Union naval ship and she was again arrested on accounts of being a spy. Boyd fell in love with one of her captors, a Union officer named Samuel Hardinge. In a memoir she had written, she explained that she might be able to "woo" him to the Confederate side. Eventually, Hardinge did serve time in prison for giving aid to Boyd. Throughout her time as a Confederate spy, Belle Boyd was given many nicknames by the Union. Some of these nicknames included: "the Rebel Joan of Arc," "the Siren of the Shenandoah," "Amazon of Secessia," and "La Belle Rebelle."The Boyd home now houses the Berkeley County Historical Society Museum which offers many exhibits related to the Civil War in addition to the early years and development of Berkeley County after the war. In addition to exhibits, the home houses the Berkeley County Historical Society Archives Center, which has a wealth of photographs, family records, maps, books, microfiche, and more.

This house once belonged to the infamous Belle Boyd and now houses the Berkeley County Museum. The museum provides visitors with a place to attend meetings, seminars, and view historical artifacts of Martinsburg and Berkeley County. Belle Boyd was born in West Virginia in May 1844. Boyd became a Confederate spy before her 18th birthday and conveyed information and supplies to Southern military leaders. 

Belle Boyd House and the Berkeley County Museum

The Opera House was built by former Shepherdstown Mayor, U. S. Martin, in 1909. That year, it was sold to the Musser family who installed a motion picture projector, one of the earliest.[1] “The Opera House ran nightly, often showing as many as three different films each week.”[2] In 1928, the Opera House began to show the newfangled “talkies” because they were the first motion picture theatre in West Virginia with sound.Unfortunately, the Mussers closed the Opera House in 1956. “It sat dark and silent until it was purchased by Pam and Rusty Berry. After an Extensive renovation following the Department of the Interior guidelines for the restoration of historic structures, the Berrys reopened the Opera House in February 1992 and began showing American Independent and foreign films. In 2004, they added new lighting and sound systems to accommodate live musical and theatrical performances onstage.”[3]In 2010, Lawrence and Julie Cumbo purchased the Opera House, hoping to take the business to the next level. Lawrence is a filmmaker and wanted to preserve the Opera House tradition, while also making music a part of the Opera House culture. “Since then, continual light and sound system upgrades, an expanded back stage, and a revamped green room has allowed this vision to grow into one of the area’s finest music and film venues.[4]The Cumbos described their original vision for the theater, “Our original motivation was to turn it into a community-based theater offering live music, performing arts, and fine films—and to create a uniquely historic and intimate place to entertain people in Shepherdstown and beyond.”[5] But “Because of the change in studios making less films, and distributors buying less independent films,” he explained, “we’ve evolved to hosting major film festivals throughout the years, including our new film series, Rusty Mondays, which is devoted to Rusty Berry.”[6]

131 W German St. The Opera House replaced a one hundred year old building in 1909. Here moving pictures were shown continuously until 1956. Thirty-five years later, after extensive renovation, it reopened as a movie theater. It is currently used as a venue for both film and live music.


Eastern Panhandle Tourism

The Triple Brick Museum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources