Washington Bottom Farm
Washington Bottom Farm, also known as Ridgedale, is a nineteenth-century Greek Revival plantation house and agricultural property overlooking the South Branch Potomac River near Romney, West Virginia.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Washington Bottom Farm is a historic farm and residence in Hampshire County, West Virginia, rather than a conventional commercial brand. It is also identified as Ridgedale, Ridge Dale, and the George W. Washington House and Farm. The property occupies a plateau above the South Branch Potomac River north of Romney and is connected with the surrounding community of Ridgedale and Washington Bottom Road, a secondary route linked to West Virginia Route 28. The property has a long documented history. The land was surveyed around 1749 by George Washington and was first settled in 1725 by Peter Peters. During the French and Indian War, settler Richard Williams established Fort Williams on the tract in 1756 after returning from Native American captivity. The fort appears to have functioned primarily as a settlers' refuge, although militia were stationed there at times. No confirmed archaeological remains of the fort have been identified, but its existence is supported by historical deeds and documentary evidence. The farm became associated with George William Washington, a Virginia-born gentleman farmer and descendant of Reverend Lawrence Washington, an ancestor of George Washington. George W. Washington married Sarah A. Wright in 1830, and the couple moved to the property in the early 1830s. They initially lived in a single-pen log cabin before completing the principal residence in 1835. The three-story brick house is an elaborate example of Greek Revival domestic architecture, with an L-shaped plan, hipped roof, central cupola, widow's walk, multiple chimneys, broad central hall, curved staircase, transoms, and original woodwork. Later alterations, including the enclosure of porches in the 1940s and their updating in 2010, were made while much of the building's historic character remained intact. George W. Washington operated the property as a diversified farm. His activities included raising cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, dairy animals, oxen, and mules, as well as growing corn, hay, soybeans, oats, wheat, and flax. Farm income came from products such as pork, corn, wool, and vegetables. His surviving daily journal, covering 1832 to 1876, records agricultural work, livestock transactions, weather and seasonal activities, and events in the surrounding region. The estate included bottomland, meadows, pasture, barns, silos, an icehouse, and an island in the South Branch Potomac River. The property also reflects the history of slavery and emancipation in the region. George W. Washington owned enslaved people, with sixteen recorded in 1850 and twenty listed in the 1860 slave schedule. After emancipation, William Bias and his wife Ann adopted the surname Washington and acquired land connected to the wider Washington family network. William Washington later became a significant African-American land developer in West Virginia, including through property associated with Romney's Blacks Hill neighborhood. During the American Civil War, the farm was used by Confederate forces and became known as Camp Washington. Confederate cavalry occupied the grounds, and family accounts associate General Turner Ashby with a headquarters at or near the farm. Ashby's brother, Captain Richard Ashby, was brought to the house after suffering a mortal wound and died there in July 1861. The Washington family's wartime experiences, including military service by George's sons and the movement of his daughters as couriers, were recorded in George Washington's journal and later family histories. After George W. Washington died in 1876, his son Robert M. Washington acquired the farm from the other heirs in 1879 and retained it until his death in 1930. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached the vicinity in 1883 and maintained a siding serving the farm until about 1930. In 1936, approximately 500 acres were sold by Washington heirs to the Brinker brothers of Cumberland, Maryland. The Brinker family converted the horse barn into a dairy barn and began operating a dairy business in 1940. The wider property has since changed in extent and use, while the principal house remains a private residence. The nearby railroad corridor continues to be used by the South Branch Valley Railroad.
History
The land associated with Washington Bottom Farm has documented roots reaching back to the eighteenth century. George Washington surveyed the area around 1749, while Peter Peters had settled the tract by 1725. In 1756, Richard Williams established Fort Williams after returning from captivity during the period of conflict between British colonists, Indigenous peoples, and French forces. The fort was apparently a settlers' fort, although colonial troops used it temporarily during the French and Indian War. The property's best-known period began with George William Washington and Sarah A. Wright. They married in 1830 and took possession of land that had been devised to Sarah and her siblings. The couple lived first in a log cabin constructed around 1832 and then built the large brick Greek Revival house in 1835. George W. Washington managed the farm as a diversified agricultural enterprise, raising beef cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, dairy animals, oxen, and mules. He cultivated corn, hay, soybeans, oats, wheat, and flax, and sold pork, wool, vegetables, and grain. His journal, maintained from 1832 until his death in 1876, provides a detailed record of the farm and its environment. The estate's history also includes slavery. Washington's ownership of enslaved people is documented in the 1850 census and 1860 slave schedule, as well as in an earlier inheritance from his father. The post-Civil War history of the property is connected to William and Ann Washington, formerly enslaved people who obtained land and established a residence known as Washington Place. William Washington subsequently became an important African-American property developer in the Romney area. Ridgedale was strategically involved in the Civil War. Confederate cavalry used the grounds as a camp, reportedly calling the location Camp Washington. Family and historical accounts connect Confederate General Turner Ashby with the site. His brother Richard was carried to the Washington house after being mortally wounded and died there in July 1861. Members of the Washington family also served or acted as couriers during the conflict, and the family's wartime observations were preserved in George Washington's journal. Following George W. Washington's death in 1876, his son Robert purchased the interests of the other heirs in 1879. Robert retained the farm until 1930. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad constructed a nearby line in 1883, including a siding used to deliver supplies. After portions of the property were sold in 1936, the Brinker family converted the horse barn for dairy use and began a dairy operation in 1940. The principal residence remains privately occupied. Its architectural integrity includes original floors, wood trim, doors, transoms, high ceilings, the central hall, cupola, and widow's walk, although the porches and some services were altered over time. The South Branch Valley Railroad continues to operate on the former Baltimore and Ohio route near the property.
- 2010
Porch updates
[1]The enclosed porches were updated with casement windows, transoms, and brick stairs.
- 1940
Dairy operation begins
[1]The Brinker family converted the horse barn into a dairy barn and began dairy farming.
- 1936
Large acreage transferred to the Brinker family
[1]Washington heirs sold approximately 500 acres to the Brinker brothers of Cumberland, Maryland.
- 1883
Railroad reaches the vicinity
[1]The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built a nearby line and established a farm siding for supplies.
- 1879
Robert M. Washington consolidates ownership
[1]Robert M. Washington purchased the interests of the other heirs and retained the farm.
- 1876
Death of George W. Washington
[1]George W. Washington died, ending the period documented by his farm journal.
- 1861
Civil War military activity
[1]Confederate cavalry used the farm as a camp known as Camp Washington, and the property became associated with Turner Ashby.
- 1850
Slave ownership recorded
[1]The census recorded George W. Washington as owning sixteen enslaved people.
- 1835
Greek Revival house completed
[1]The principal three-story brick residence was completed.
- 1832
Washington family moves to the property
[1]George and Sarah Washington established themselves at Ridgedale and lived initially in a log cabin.
Products and positioning
A privately held historic farmstead and architectural landmark interpreted through its agricultural, military, genealogical, slavery, and Civil War history.
Historic architecture · 1835
Ridgedale residence
The principal residence is a high-style, three-story Greek Revival brick house completed in 1835. It has an L-shaped plan, hipped roof, central cupola, widow's walk, five chimneys, broad central hall, curved staircase, transoms, original floors and wood trim, and multiple porches. The building remains a private residence.
Agriculture
Washington Bottom Farm agricultural operation
The historic farm supported mixed agriculture, including cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, dairy animals, oxen, and mules. Crops included corn, hay, soybeans, oats, wheat, and flax. Farm products included pork, wool, grain, vegetables, and dairy goods. The property's acreage and agricultural use changed over time.
Dairy farming · 1940
Brinker dairy operation
Beginning in 1940, the Brinker family operated a dairy business at the farm after adapting the former horse barn for dairy use. This represented a later commercial phase in the property's agricultural history.
Sources1 sources
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