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The oldest standing wood frame structure in West Virginia, the Peter Burr house is an eight-room, two-story log, beam and board building. The eight-acre complex is a rare example of a pre-1760 settlement period family homestead. The house construction inside and out is notable for its neatly finished exposed parts, wrought iron nails and chairboard joined together with wooden pins.
Peter Burr I built the house between 1751 and 1755 on land he obtained in a grant from Lord Fairfax. He did not settle in present-day Jefferson County. Instead he returned to Connecticut. His son, Peter Burr II, lived at the house until he died in 1793.
The Burrs were a prominent family at the time. Peter Burr I was the only brother of Aaron Burr, Sr., president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and father of United States Senator and third Vice President of the United States, Aaron Burr, Jr.
The property has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1981. The Jefferson County Historic Landmarks Commission acquired the property in 1998 and is in the process of restoring it as The Peter Burr Living History Farm. The homestead is open to the public for occasional special events and activities.
A newly developed, paved bicycle trail extends in both directions past the Peter Burr Farm along the new WV9.
Location: East Burr Boulevard – behind the Burr Industrial Park off WV9, Kearneysville
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