Snodgrass Tavern

Snodgrass Tavern is a historic building near Hedgesville in Berkeley County, West Virginia. The property is associated with the Snodgrass family and served for many years as a tavern and stopping place on the route between Martinsburg and Berkeley Springs, then known as Bath. Because of its approximate position midway between those communities, it was also known as the Halfway House. The tavern’s exact opening date is uncertain, although historical accounts indicate that it was operating by the early or middle 1750s, during the period of the French and Indian War. The building’s surviving fabric began taking shape around 1742 and developed through several stages over the following decades. The earliest portion was a small, one-and-a-half-story square log structure. A second, larger two-story log section was added roughly fifteen years later, initially standing separately before the two sections were joined. The earlier part was subsequently raised to two stories. Around 1813, a sandstone addition was constructed along the north side, completing the principal form of the building. Distinctive architectural features include twin chimneys approximately 32 feet high at either end of the structure and a veranda extending across the front. The tavern room was unusually large for its period, measuring approximately 18 by 24 feet. The identity of the original builder and the early chain of ownership are not completely settled. One account attributes the land to a 1732 grant from Lord Fairfax to William Snodgrass, who is said to have begun the building. Other historical interpretations suggest that John Ford initiated construction and that the property later passed through the Rawlings family before reaching Robert Snodgrass in 1779. Regardless of the disputed early ownership history, the Snodgrass name became firmly attached to the property. The site is connected with several prominent visitors. George Washington reportedly visited while surveying land for Lord Fairfax in 1750 and made another documented visit on September 5, 1784, with additional stops associated with journeys to Berkeley Springs. Henry Clay, then serving as United States secretary of state, visited during a July 1827 stay with friends in the area. A family account also describes Susannah Snodgrass and her infant daughter hiding beneath the tavern floor while violence associated with the Indian wars took place above them. The tavern business ended in the nineteenth century. James Snodgrass reportedly declined to sell liquor, a decision that reduced business, and the property was rented before being sold in 1847. It has remained a private residence since that transition. The building and surrounding land were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The registered property was expanded substantially in 2006, from the original building-focused area of approximately 0.27 acres to about 205 acres, incorporating additional historic resources, outbuildings, sites, and a slave cemetery. Snodgrass Tavern is therefore best understood not as an operating hospitality brand but as a preserved historic property and regional heritage site.

Snodgrass Tavern developed as an early colonial-period property in what is now Berkeley County, West Virginia. The precise origins of the building and its first owner remain uncertain. One historical tradition holds that Lord Fairfax granted William Snodgrass a tract of approximately 1,000 acres in 1732 and that Snodgrass began the tavern’s construction. Other accounts identify John Ford as the builder of the original section, followed by ownership by the Rawlings family and later acquisition by Robert Snodgrass in 1779. These differing accounts reflect the incomplete documentary record for the property’s earliest years. The Snodgrass family name nevertheless became the enduring name of the site. Construction appears to have begun around 1742. The first building was a compact, one-and-a-half-story square log structure with sides of roughly 15 feet. About fifteen years later, a separate two-story log structure was erected approximately 10 feet to the west. The two buildings were eventually connected, and the original section was increased to a full two stories. A final major addition was made around 1813 along the full north side of the building. Unlike the earlier log sections, this addition was built of sandstone. The completed structure featured a full-length front veranda and two large chimneys, each approximately 32 feet high, an unusual architectural arrangement for the area. The date at which the property formally became a tavern cannot be established with certainty. It appears to have taken on that function gradually and relatively early in its history. By the early or middle 1750s, historical recollections place the building in use as a tavern during the period of the Indian wars associated with the French and Indian War. One account concerning Robert Snodgrass’s wife, Susannah, and their infant daughter describes them sheltering beneath the floor while conflict and disorder occurred in the tavern above. The tavern room itself measured approximately 18 by 24 feet, making it notably spacious for an establishment of the period. The property occupied a strategic position on the route between Martinsburg and Berkeley Springs, then commonly called Bath. Its location roughly halfway between those communities led travelers to call it the Halfway House. As a roadside establishment, it served the needs of travelers and connected the property to the wider network of colonial and early American transportation routes. George Washington is reported to have visited in 1750 while surveying land for Lord Fairfax. His diary records another visit on September 5, 1784, and other accounts associate him with stops there while traveling to Berkeley Springs. Henry Clay also visited in July 1827 while in the area visiting friends; at that time he was the United States secretary of state. The tavern’s commercial operation ended in the nineteenth century. James Snodgrass refused to sell liquor, which reportedly caused the business to decline. The property was subsequently rented and was sold in 1847. From that point onward, the structure became a private residence rather than a public tavern, a use that continued into the modern period. Recognition as a historic resource came through its listing on the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1973. The initial registered area covered approximately 0.27 acres and focused primarily on the tavern building. On March 22, 2006, the National Register boundaries were expanded to approximately 205 acres. The enlargement incorporated additional historic buildings and sites on the property, including outbuildings and a slave cemetery. The property’s significance consequently extends beyond the tavern structure itself, encompassing the landscape and the historical evidence associated with the surrounding estate. Snodgrass Tavern is regarded as one of the oldest surviving buildings in West Virginia and remains important as an example of early regional construction, travel, domestic life, and colonial-era settlement.

• 2006

  National Register boundaries expanded

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The registered area was expanded to approximately 205 acres to include associated historic structures, sites, outbuildings, and a slave cemetery.

• 1973

  Added to the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The property was listed on the National Register on April 24, 1973.

• 1847

  Tavern operation ends

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  After declining business associated with a refusal to sell liquor, the property was sold and converted to private residential use.

• 1827

  Henry Clay visits

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  Henry Clay visited the property during a July 1827 stay in the area.

• 1813

  Sandstone north addition completed

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  A sandstone addition was constructed along the north side, forming the final major expansion of the building.

• 1784

  Washington diary records another visit

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  George Washington recorded a visit to Snodgrass Tavern on September 5, 1784.

• 1750

  George Washington reportedly visits

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  George Washington reportedly stopped at the property while surveying land for Lord Fairfax.

• 1750

  Second log section added

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  Approximately fifteen years after the first section, a separate two-story log section was added west of the original structure.

• 1742

  Construction begins in stages

  [1]Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org

  The earliest surviving sections of the building are believed to date from around 1742, beginning with a small square log structure.

Historic roadside tavern and heritage property associated with early settlement, travel, and architecture in Berkeley County, West Virginia.

1. 1Snodgrass Tavernen.wikipedia.org