Col. James Graham House
Encyclopedia
The Col. James Graham House is a historic log cabin
located on West Virginia Route 3 in Lowell, West Virginia
. It was built in 1770 as a home for Col. James Graham, the first settler of Lowell, and his family. It was later the site of an Indian
attack on the Graham family in 1777. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on March 16, 1976. It is currently operating as a museum.
. The log house, with a 25' by 28' exterior, was significantly larger than other pioneer cabins of the period. The Graham family settled into a life of farming in the home upon its completion. In 1777, Indians
attacked the Graham House, killing Col. Graham's son John, a neighbor of the Grahams named McDonald, and a young slave boy as well as kidnapping Col. Graham's daughter Elizabeth. The family did not successfully ransom Elizabeth until 1785.
The Graham House remained in the Graham family until 1860. After 1860, several other families inhabited the cabin, including Col. Wilson Lively's family and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis E. Barickman. The house is currently owned by the Graham House Preservation Society and operated as a museum.
, walnut
, and oak
logs, with stones used as additional supports. Large stone chimneys are located at either end of the house. The house was likely built with a single door and no windows, but an additional door and several windows were added at a later date. The first floor consists of a single room, and at one point was split into three rooms; the second floor has three rooms. The house's original outbuildings were eventually replaced by additions on the north side of the house, the latest of which was built in the 1970s and includes bathing and kitchen areas.
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
located on West Virginia Route 3 in Lowell, West Virginia
Lowell, West Virginia
Lowell is an unincorporated community in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. Lowell is located on the Greenbrier River east of Hinton and southwest of Alderson. The community was first settled in 1770 and is the oldest community in Summers County....
. It was built in 1770 as a home for Col. James Graham, the first settler of Lowell, and his family. It was later the site of an Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
attack on the Graham family in 1777. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 16, 1976. It is currently operating as a museum.
History
James Graham and his family built the cabin in 1770 after migrating to the area from elsewhere in Virginia. As the Grahams were the first permanent settlers in the region, the Graham House became the first established home in what is now Summers CountySummers County, West Virginia
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...
. The log house, with a 25' by 28' exterior, was significantly larger than other pioneer cabins of the period. The Graham family settled into a life of farming in the home upon its completion. In 1777, Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
attacked the Graham House, killing Col. Graham's son John, a neighbor of the Grahams named McDonald, and a young slave boy as well as kidnapping Col. Graham's daughter Elizabeth. The family did not successfully ransom Elizabeth until 1785.
The Graham House remained in the Graham family until 1860. After 1860, several other families inhabited the cabin, including Col. Wilson Lively's family and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis E. Barickman. The house is currently owned by the Graham House Preservation Society and operated as a museum.
Description
The Graham House is notable as being a particularly large house compared to other log cabins of the period. The exterior of the house measures 25 feet (7.6 m) by 28 feet (8.5 m), and the cabin consists of two floors and an attic, including a 12 feet (3.7 m) ceiling. The house is built of poplarPoplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
, walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
, and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
logs, with stones used as additional supports. Large stone chimneys are located at either end of the house. The house was likely built with a single door and no windows, but an additional door and several windows were added at a later date. The first floor consists of a single room, and at one point was split into three rooms; the second floor has three rooms. The house's original outbuildings were eventually replaced by additions on the north side of the house, the latest of which was built in the 1970s and includes bathing and kitchen areas.
External links
- Graham House Preservation Society - Graham House Preservation Society
- Graham House, State Route 3, Talcott vicinity, Summers, WV: 3 photos, 2 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Building Survey