Cedar Lawn

Cedar Lawn is a historic residence in the vicinity of Charles Town, Jefferson County, West Virginia. It is associated with the Washington family and forms part of the group of historic houses built near Charles Town for members of that family. The house was completed in 1825 for John Thornton Augustine Washington, identified as a grand-nephew of George Washington. The property originated within the larger Harewood estate of Samuel Washington. Land that later became Cedar Lawn passed to Samuel Washington's son, Thornton Washington, who constructed an earlier house known as Berry Hill. Berry Hill was named for his wife's family but was subsequently destroyed by fire. After inheriting the property, John Thornton Augustine Washington built Cedar Lawn as a replacement residence. The property has therefore been known in connection with earlier names, including Berry Hill and Poplar Hill. Architecturally, Cedar Lawn is a two-story, three-bay brick house set above a raised basement. Its plan and elevations were developed shortly after those used for Claymont Court and resemble the design of Hazelfield, although Cedar Lawn was adapted with a hipped roof. A Greek Revival front porch was added later in the nineteenth century, modifying the original appearance while reinforcing the building's association with the period's architectural vocabulary. In the 1940s, Cedar Lawn was acquired by R. J. Funkhouser, an industrialist and collector of Washington-family estates. Funkhouser also owned Blakeley and Claymont Court. The property remained in the Funkhouser family and became known as O'Sullivan Farms, a name derived from Funkhouser's principal business venture, the O'Sullivan Corporation. Cedar Lawn is not a conventional commercial brand, operating company, or consumer product line. Its relevance in an encyclopedia dataset is as the name of a historic house and associated property. No independent products, commercial offerings, public-company listing, or brand-management structure are documented in the supplied references. The property is represented in historic-building documentation, including the Historic American Buildings Survey, rather than through ordinary corporate or retail channels.

Cedar Lawn developed from land that had originally formed part of the Harewood estate associated with Samuel Washington. The Washington family held a number of properties in and around Charles Town, and several houses in the area became connected with different branches of the family. Samuel Washington's son, Thornton Washington, received the land on which the later Cedar Lawn property would stand and built a residence called Berry Hill. The name reflected his wife's family, while another historical name associated with the property is Poplar Hill. Berry Hill was destroyed by fire. Following the inheritance of the property by John Thornton Augustine Washington, a grand-nephew of George Washington, a new house was constructed in 1825. This building became known as Cedar Lawn. Its construction placed it within the period of expanding Greek Revival influence in American domestic architecture and within a local concentration of substantial residences connected to the Washington family. The house is a two-story, three-bay brick structure set on a raised basement. Its design was produced shortly after Claymont Court and shares planning and elevation characteristics with Hazelfield. Cedar Lawn differs in the adaptation of a hipped roof, while a Greek Revival porch was added to the front later in the nineteenth century. These changes illustrate the way an early nineteenth-century house could be modified as architectural tastes evolved without losing its principal form. Ownership changed in the 1940s when industrialist R. J. Funkhouser purchased the property. Funkhouser was interested in estates associated with the Washington family and also owned Blakeley and Claymont Court. Under the Funkhouser family's ownership, the property became known as O'Sullivan Farms. That name referred to O'Sullivan Corporation, Funkhouser's principal industrial venture. The property remained in the Funkhouser family according to the supplied reference material. Cedar Lawn is documented as a historic building rather than as an operating business. Its significance derives from its association with the Washington family, its relationship to nearby historic estates, and its surviving architectural character. The Historic American Buildings Survey recorded Cedar Lawn under HABS No. WV-15, with documentation identifying the house on Summit Point Road near Charles Town in Jefferson County, West Virginia. No information in the supplied sources establishes a separate commercial enterprise, product portfolio, executive team, or public listing under the Cedar Lawn name.

• 1940

  Acquisition by R. J. Funkhouser

  [1]Cedar Lawnen.wikipedia.org

  In the 1940s, industrialist R. J. Funkhouser acquired Cedar Lawn and added it to his holdings of Washington-family estates, including Blakeley and Claymont Court.

• 1825

  Construction of Cedar Lawn

  [1]Cedar Lawnen.wikipedia.org

  John Thornton Augustine Washington built Cedar Lawn after inheriting the property on which the earlier Berry Hill residence had stood.

• Association with O'Sullivan Farms

  [1]Cedar Lawnen.wikipedia.org

  The property became known as O'Sullivan Farms, a name connected with Funkhouser's principal business, the O'Sullivan Corporation.

Historic residential architecture and Washington-family heritage property; not a conventional commercial brand.

1. 1Cedar Lawnen.wikipedia.org