C l T Y O R TOWN: I

- Form 10- 00 ' U N I T E D S T A T E S D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E I N T E R I O R ) S T A T E .

(Juty 19d). A N A T I O N A L P A R K S E R V I C E West V i r g i n i a

1 7

C O U N T Y .

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Hardy INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE O N L Y

S T A T E 1

E N T R Y N U M B E R

I n Process U n r e s t r ~ c t e d

Edvcottonal

S c i e n t i f ~ c

j 4 . OWNER OF PROPERTY - O W N E R ' S NAM;-- I

a l T m f e e . - ~ * -r L u M :, I- l E W, pb. 9. I+ 8 1 W S T R E E T A N D N U M B E R . c LI L 50

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A C I T Y O R TOWN. S T A T E .

Moore f i e l d - -- -- fs. L O C A T ~ N - OF CEGAL . . , . DESCR-N- - -- - - - - - . ,

(COURTHOUSE. R E G I S T R Y O F DEEDS E T C

D A T E

L ._ _ _ _ _ .-_ West _ V i r g i n i a CLASSIFICATION

I

A C A T E G O R Y I I

(Type all entries - complete applicable sections)

pZiEiNAMe' , , I C O M M O N

Willow Wall A N D / O R H I S T O R I C .

Hardy County Courthouse S T R E E T A N D N U M B E R :

I * .?

S T A T E C O D E

Moore f i e l d West V i r g i n i a

D A T E O F S U R V E Y : Federa l 0 State County a L O C O ! D E P O S I T O R Y F O R S U R V E Y R E C O R D S :

S T R E E T A'<" N U M B E R : I r l g C I T Y O R T O W N S T A T E

DESCRIPW - - (Check One)

Th site of "Willow Wallt' is a ridge overlooking the wide, flat acres belonging to Daniel McNeil I. The fields stretch in front of the house for one half mile to the South Branch of the Potomac River. Willow Wall is a Georgian-Tidewater style house transplanted 200 miles inland. The construction of this style was imprinted by the Hessian prisoners and deserters who had settled in the Valley. There are 38 rooms, attics and cellars in this "U" shaped house. All outside con- struction is brick laid in Flemish bond. The exterior brick walls are 24 inches thick.

The front section of the house consists of four massive rooms on the first floor and a similar four on the second floor. The main hall features a fine staircase and four splendid doors leading into each of the four downstairs rooms. Each door has a high fanlight transom and deep carved woodwork. Each room has a high, hand-carved Georgian mantle and subtly different but sophisticated woodwork in each room. One of the great jewels of the house is the French hand-printed wall- paper, "The Passing of' the Chase," which was put up when the house was finished in 1811-1812.

The exterior of Willow Wall is highlighted by a double Georgian porch, outlined by Ionic columns, each hand-carved, each similar but different. The double porches are echoed by double Paladian windows on the front gable ends of each of the two wings. There are double chimneys on the gable ends of the front section of the house and other chimneys contained within the walls of the wings. The house, as a unit, presents a picture of the house of a wealthy planter and a man of exceptionally good taste.

The house today is much the same as it was when it was new. The McNeils still own the property and there is a son who will inherit the houSe and the lands. The family has a great interest in their house; they have saved many documents that have to do with their house and their history. The present owner, Thomas B. McNeil, is a young man who only recently acquired the house by inheritance and purchase. He has spent considerable money in repointing brick, repairing the foundation and roof, painting and refurbishing some of the exterior woodwork. He has plans for restoring the interior to its former

Ercel lent a Good Fa i r 0 Deteriorated 0 Ruins f-J Unexposed CONDITION --

splendor but is, at present, waiting until he rewires the house. Every- thing is being done with intent of making the house as it was, not changing, destroying, or damaging the house or its contents. Hard times hit the family in the 1 9 3 0 ' ~ ~ but Tom McNeil has managed to restore the family fortunes. He, his wife, and their son realize that they have an exceptional home. They are pleased with and proud of "Willow Wall."

(Check One) '

a Altered

- (Check One) k 0 Unaltered n Moved Original Site -

DESCRIBE T H E PRESENT A N D ORIGINAL ( i f ~ ~ O W ~ > H Y S I C A L A P P E A R A N C E

P E R I O D ( c h e c k One or M o r e a s Approprlale)

Pre-Columbian 1 16th Century 0 18th Century 20th Century

0 15th Century 17th Century Q 19th Century

S P E C I F I C D A T E ( s I (If Appl icabfe a n d K n o w n ) --

A R E A S O F S I G N I F I C A N C E (Check O n e or M o r e a s Appropriate)

Abor iginal Education P o l i t i c a l Urban Planning

0 Prehistoric

Historic

Agriculture

Architecture

Art

0 Commerce

Communications

Conservation

0 Engineering R e l i g i o d P h i . Other (Specify)

Industry losophy

0 Invention Science

Landscape Sculpture

Architecture Social/Human-

L i terature i tar ion

M i l i t a r y Theoter

Music Tronsportation

b T A T E M E N T O F S I G N I F I C A N C E *.. ri I . [ , c , : . :

Willow Wall i s , perhaps, t h e most s p l e n d i d home i n t h e South Branch Val ley of West V i rg in i a . I t s Georgian-Tidewater s t y l e i s a n qnusual 200 mi l e s i n l and . The house i s a n ou t s t and ing example of t h e e l e g a n t use of t h e Pa l ad ian window. As t h e home of t h e McNeil family, i t has been a c u l t u r a l and s o c i a l c e n t e r f o r t h e upper South Branch Valley.

I l l u s t r i o u s persons were g u e s t s o f t h e McNeils, p a r t i c u l a r l y t hose a t t r a c t e d by t h e home's most ou t s t and ing f e a t u r e , b e a u t i f u l l y preserved e a r l y French wal lpaper i n t h e "Passing of t h e Chase" des ign . Only one o t h e r home i n West V i r g i n i a , Piedmont, l oca t ed i n J e f f e r s o n County, has French wal lpaper of t h i s pe r iod , bu t it i s of a d i f f e r e n t design.

During t h e C i v i l War t h e McNeil p r o p e r t i e s were c e n t e r s of a c t i v i t y f o r McNeil 's Rangers, a c e l e b r a t e d Confederate c a v a l r y t roop who took p a r t i n numerous engagements. The B a t t l e of Moore- f i e l d s c c u r r e d o n McNeil l ands , and t h e Willow Wall r e s i d e n c e was used a s a h o s p i t a l f o r wounded men. Doctors of bo th t h e Confedera te and t h e Union armies opera ted on t h e back porch and i n back s e c t i o n s of t he house. Contemporary newspaper accounts and a l o c a l d i a r y t e l l of p i l e s of amputated limbs i n t h e yard around t h e house.

The McNeils were among t h e e a r l i e s t o f South Branch Va l l ey s e t t l e r s . Between 1760 and 1770, a s ea c a p t a i n named Dan ie l McNeil a r r i v e d a t South Branch Manor of t h e F a i r f a x e s t a t e , and took up lands t h a t had p rev ious ly been tenanted by Abraham H i t e , a son of J o i s t H i t e from t h e Shenandoah Val ley . The g r a n t i s l i s t e d on a n undated q u i t r e n t r o l l of South Branch Manor. When t h e town of Moorefield was granted i t s c h a r t e r by t h e Burgesses and t h e Governor of V i r g i n i a , Danie l McNeil was named a t r u s t e e . The s e a c h e s t which Daniel brought wi th him from h i s mari t ime l i f e i s p reserved a t Willow Wall.

Daniel McNeil b u i l t a l a r g e log house on t h e s i t e of p r e s e n t Willow Wall. He a l s o e r e c t e d a log blockhouse f o r defense a g a i n s t Ind ian a t t a c k s . When a r e a s e t t l e r s found i t t o o dangerous t o g e t t o nearby F o r t P l e a s a n t , they took r e fuge i n "McNeills Fo r t . "

As t h e f o r t became no longer a n e c e s s i t y and a s c h i l d r e n were born t o t h e McNiels, t h e l og s t r u c t u r e was added t o by log wings a t e i t h e r end, s o t h a t p r e s e n t l y t h e s t r u c t u r e took on a "U" shape. Since c h i l d r e n were numerous, one wing was used a s a dormi tory f o r t h e boys, t h e o t h e r f o r t h e g i r l s .

As t h e McNeil fo r tunes grew i n t h e y e a r s fo l lowing t h e Revolu- t i ~ a r v War family m m h ~ r s nl

Form 10-300a UNIT ED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR S T A T E

(JIJIY 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE West V i r g i n i a

\NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC P L A C E S Hardy

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

t ENTRY NUMBER D A T E (Continuation Sheet) I

(Number a11 e n l r l e s )

8 , SIGNIFICANCE (Continued)

l a t e r named Willow Wall. It: s t a n d s i n f ami ly ownership a s a t r i b u t e t o t h e i r good t a s t e .

G P O 9 2 1 . 7 2 4

19. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

I

-

i

~eriheval. History of the Valley of Virginia

Rice, Otis K.- The Allegheny Frontier- University of Kentucky Press,

Lexington. 1970

Federal Writers' Project. West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State.

Oxford University Press, New York. 1941

GEOGRAPHfCAL D A T A .- LATITUDE A N D L O N G I T U D E C O O R D I N A T E S

DEFINING A R E C T A N G L E L O C A T I N G THE P R O P E R T Y

O R N E R ~ L A T I T U D E I L O N G I T U D E --

Degrees Minutes

NW

--

PPROXIMATE A C R E A G E OF NOMINATED PpOPERTY: 1 --

0 DEFINING T H E C E N T E R P O I N T O F A PROPERTY

R OF L E S S T H A N T E N A C R E S

L A T I T U D E L O N G 1 T U D B

Degrees M i n u t e s Seconds D e g r e e s Minutes Seconds

139 O 07 39 - / 78 57 0 2 "

TATE:

TATE:

I I I

T A T E : C O D E C O U N T Y : CODE

T A T E : I C O D E

Mrs. Nancy Snider, Field Reserach Agent R G A N l Z A T I O N DATE

West Virginia Antiquities Commission August 1972 r R E E T A N D N U M B E R :

Old Mountainlair--West Virginia Universitv T Y O R TOWN:

Morgantown -- ~- STATE LIAISON OFFICER C E R f IFICA I ION

As the d e s i g n a t e d S ta te L i a i s o n Off icer for t h e Na-

t ional His tor ic P r e s e r v a t i o n Act of 196G ( P u b l i c L a w

89-h65), I hereby nominate t h i s property for inc lus ion

i n t h e Nat iona l R e g i s t e r a n d cer t i fy t h a t i t h a s b e e n

eva lua ted according to t h e c r i te r ia and procedures s e t

forth b y the Nat iona l P a r k Serv ice . T h e recommended

leve l of s i g n i f i c a n c e of t h i s nomination i s :

N a t i o n a l A a Sta te L o c a l ,

Name

hau ice G. Brooks

, St/ate Liaison Officer

D a t e April 3, 1973

T A T E C O D E

West Virginia 26506 NATlONAL REGtSTER VERIFICATION

E-

I hereby cer t i fy that t h i s property i s included i n the

N a t i o n a l R e g i s t e r .

Chief , O f f i c e of Archeology a n d H i s t o r i c P r e s e r v a t i o n

E a t e

A T T E S T :

K e e p e r of T h e N a t i o n a l R e g i s t e r

L a t e

G P O 9 0 1 . 0 8 7

p. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES , '

I . . Kercheval. History of the Valley of Virginia

1 \ Rice, Otis K.- The Allegheny Frontier- University of Kentucky Press, I

I Lexington. 1970

I Federal Writers' Project. West Virginia: A Guide to the Mountain State.

I Oxford University Press, New York. 1941

, . " 0 I

N A M E A N D T I T L E :

Mrs. Nancy Snider, ~ield Reserach Agent R G A N l Z A T l O N D A T E

West Virginia antiquities Commission August 1972 T R E E T A N D N U M B E R :

I T Y O R T O W N :

Morgantown - - STATE L lA iSON OFFtCER CERTlftCAS ION

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the N a -

tional Historic Preservation Act of 196'3 (Publ ic L a w

89-665), I hereby nominate th is property for inclusion

- 5

Old Mountainlair--West Virginia

in the National Register and certify that it has been

evaluated according to the criteria and procedures s e t

forth by the Natlonal Park Service. The recommended

levei of significance of this nommatlon is:

National n n State Loca l .

Name L I t

ice G. Brooks

Liaison Officer

,a,e April 3, 1973

I hereby certify that th is property is included in the

National Register.

Chief, Office of Archeology a n d Historic Preservation

Date

ATTEST: -

Keeper of The National Reg i s t e r

G P O 9 0 1 . 0 8 7