56 this morning. We had the doors open all night, and all day today. Overcast with occasional mists and drizzle.
The homes I have shown on my recent posts are, as sustainablemum pointed out, huge. Most have 3 floors, and very likely a basement below. Some still had their original carriage houses.
These homes were built during the heyday of the Ohio River's role in the booming westward-bound travel. Parkersburg and Marietta,Ohio, were considered the jumping- off places to points west.
By the mid 1800s steamboats were numerous on the river, carrying people and goods back and forth to New Orleans and Pittsburgh. Travelers from the east crossed Pennsylvania what much later became Route 40, known as the National Road. From Parkersburg or Marietta they could take a steamboat as far west as Iowa. Or they could leave the Ohio at Cairo, Illinois and go north on the Mississippi or continue west through flatter country.
Parkersburg became a bustling industrial city, building boats and furniture, making bricks, etc.The arrival of the railroad in 1857 further contributed to the town's growth.
This one must have a stunning view over the river.
Before long the oil and gas boom caused the valley to bristle with wells and money as men flocked to the area with dreams of wealth in their heads. Glassmaking became a huge industry just north of Parkersburg and up to Pittsburgh.
Most of the homes in the Julia-Ann district where I attended the tour were built between 1875 and 1915, but there are a few built as early as the 1830s.
Caswell-Smith house, first house on our tour, and
This area and these homes are Grand and wonderful. I think in regards to that abandoned home that someone is paying the taxes on it. If the taxes weren't being paid, the house would have been put up for Sheriff 's sale. Let's contact the Wood County assessor's office and see if we can buy that at tax sale! : )
ReplyDeleteWonderful old houses, mostly well cared for. Sad to see the one abandoned one. Perhaps tied up in an estate. Loved seeing all the brick streets!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this wonderful post, really interesting to read about the history and why there were so many big houses in the one place.
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