Leetown, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Leetown is an unincorporated town in Jefferson County
in the U.S. state
of West Virginia
. It lies along West Virginia Secondary Route 1 at its junction with Leetown Pike.
An early historical distinction of the town is the interesting confluence of the estates of three British born, British colonial military officers who served under General Braddock
and were all involved in the disastrous British operations against French and Indian forces at Fort Duquesne
(modern Pittsburg) and who later became American revolutionary officers under George Washington.
The town is named for the eccentric General Charles Lee
, a British officer. He was born in Cheshire
in 1732 and purchased an estate in Virginia in 1776. He called the estate "Prato Rio" and the main house rests today just south of town. Major General Adam Stephen established a hunting lodge “The Bower” in 1750 one mile west of Leetown along Opequon Creek. Their mutual Revolutionary War colleague General Horatio Gates
, the victor of the Battle of Saratoga
, lived four miles north of town in the estate "Traveler’s Rest".
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church is an attractive feature of Leetown. It was consecrated in 1846 as part of the recovery of the Episcopal Church in (then) Virginia after its low ebb in the years after the Revolution. The church was badly damaged during the Civil War and may be the oldest Episcopal Church in West Virginia still holding regular services.
The town is featured in the documentation of the general ebb and flow of forces during the Civil War. On July 3, 1864 a running battle took place through the town in which troops under Lieutenant General Jubal Early
, after initial setback, prevailed over Federal forces. The victory cleared the way for Early’s entry into Maryland as part of the third and last Confederate invasion of the North, culminating in a Pyrrhic victory
at Monocacy Junction
near Frederick, Maryland on July 8.
After the conflict, the artist David English Henderson resided in Leetown, rendering on canvas his memories as a soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia.
Today the town hosts the US Department of Interior’s Leetown Science Center. Established in 1931 as the first Federal Fishery research facility, the Center’s current mission is to provide expertise from a broad diversity of scientific disciplines to conduct integrated research programs addressing the high priority needs of natural resource managers and public policy makers.
Jefferson County, West Virginia
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 53,498. Its county seat is Charles Town...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It lies along West Virginia Secondary Route 1 at its junction with Leetown Pike.
An early historical distinction of the town is the interesting confluence of the estates of three British born, British colonial military officers who served under General Braddock
Edward Braddock
General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...
and were all involved in the disastrous British operations against French and Indian forces at Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne
Fort Duquesne was a fort established by the French in 1754, at the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers in what is now downtown Pittsburgh in the state of Pennsylvania....
(modern Pittsburg) and who later became American revolutionary officers under George Washington.
The town is named for the eccentric General Charles Lee
Charles Lee (general)
Charles Lee was a British soldier who later served as a General of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence. Lee served in the British army during the Seven Years War. After the war he sold his commission and served for a time in the Polish army of King Stanislaus II...
, a British officer. He was born in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
in 1732 and purchased an estate in Virginia in 1776. He called the estate "Prato Rio" and the main house rests today just south of town. Major General Adam Stephen established a hunting lodge “The Bower” in 1750 one mile west of Leetown along Opequon Creek. Their mutual Revolutionary War colleague General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates
Horatio Lloyd Gates was a retired British soldier who served as an American general during the Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga – Benedict Arnold, who led the attack, was finally forced from the field when he was shot in the leg – and...
, the victor of the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, lived four miles north of town in the estate "Traveler’s Rest".
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church is an attractive feature of Leetown. It was consecrated in 1846 as part of the recovery of the Episcopal Church in (then) Virginia after its low ebb in the years after the Revolution. The church was badly damaged during the Civil War and may be the oldest Episcopal Church in West Virginia still holding regular services.
The town is featured in the documentation of the general ebb and flow of forces during the Civil War. On July 3, 1864 a running battle took place through the town in which troops under Lieutenant General Jubal Early
Jubal Anderson Early
Jubal Anderson Early was a lawyer and Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served under Stonewall Jackson and then Robert E. Lee for almost the entire war, rising from regimental command to lieutenant general and the command of an infantry corps in the Army of Northern Virginia...
, after initial setback, prevailed over Federal forces. The victory cleared the way for Early’s entry into Maryland as part of the third and last Confederate invasion of the North, culminating in a Pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
at Monocacy Junction
Battle of Monocacy
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace...
near Frederick, Maryland on July 8.
After the conflict, the artist David English Henderson resided in Leetown, rendering on canvas his memories as a soldier in the Army of Northern Virginia.
Today the town hosts the US Department of Interior’s Leetown Science Center. Established in 1931 as the first Federal Fishery research facility, the Center’s current mission is to provide expertise from a broad diversity of scientific disciplines to conduct integrated research programs addressing the high priority needs of natural resource managers and public policy makers.
External links
- Shepherdstown Forums - Discussion Forums