Food Nearby. Dining | Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. Lodging Nearby. The Blennerhassett - Historic Hotel in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Lodging | Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. History. The Namesake Harman Blennerhassett, a wealthy Irish aristocrat, settled on the wilderness island in 1798, where he built a magnificent mansion. Designed in the Palladian style (like Mount Vernon), the house contained 7,000 square feet of floor space. Its rooms were furnished with furniture purchased in London and Baltimore, oriental carpets, oil paintings, and porcelain made in Paris. The hardware on some of the interior doors was made of silver. Alabaster lamps were suspended from the ceilings by silver chains. A 2-1/3 acre flower garden and two huge lawns surrounded the house. In 1806, however, Harman became entangled in a mysterious military enterprise with Aaron Burr.
Blennerhassett fled the island, but was captured and put into the Virginia State Penitentiary. The exquisite mansion accidentally burned to the ground in 1811, eventually leaving no trace of its graceful, semicircular lines. Mansion Tours The mansion is open every day the island is open. The Putnam Houser House. Appalachian History » Blennerhassett Island – staging ground for high treason. The July 29, 1806 letter was the thing that undid the Burr Conspiracy. Harman Blennerhassett had been a moderately well off Anglo-Irish aristocrat prior to his becoming involved with Irish revolutionaries in the last decade of the 18th century. Fearing that British authorities might arrest him, he sold his property in Ireland and bounded for the United States with his wife Margaret. In 1799 Blennerhassett bought half the island that now bears his name, an island on the Ohio River below the mouth of the Little Kanawha River, located near Parkersburg, WV. Blennerhassett and his wife proceeded to build a mansion on the island, where they entertained neighbors and any notables that came by.
In May 1805 Aaron Burr, former Vice President of the United States, and victor in the duel in which he killed Alexander Hamilton, visited the Blennerhassett home. Using the 300 acre island as a staging ground, Burr aimed to form a new country fashioned from the Louisiana Purchase territories. The Burr Conspiracy. The Burr Conspiracy The soldiers from Ft. Stoddert, Louisiana Territory, captured the fugitive Aaron Burr on a February morning in 1807, on a muddy road near the hamlet of Wakefield. Burr's fall from grace seemed total. The former vice president, who had dressed as magnificently as any head of state, wore a battered beaver hat and ragged wool coat. The dandy who had charmed women by the score sported a scruffy crop of whiskers. Aaron Burr had traveled West just six months before to carve out his own empire. Now, he would return East to stand trial for treason. Nearly 200 years later, the exact details of what became known as the Burr Conspiracy -- Aaron Burr's attempt to detach the Western states and the Louisiana Territory from the Union -- remain unknown.
Burr cast his eyes on the newly acquired Territory of Louisiana. Burr would need manpower to accomplish his objectives. Despite his faults, Wilkinson represented a logical choice for Burr. Still, problems remained. Key Figures in the Aaron Burr Trial. General James Wilkinson, commander of the Army of the United States, played a major role in the Burr Conspiracy, first as a co-conspirator and later as Burr's chief nemesis and the prosecution's chief hope for conviction. The Conspiracy to attack Spanish territory and perhaps create a new nation west of the Alleghenies grew out of a series of conversations between Wilkinson and Vice President Burr during the winter of 1804-05. The design may have been more Wilkinson's than Burr's. Wilkinson knew the West as well as any man and sensed that many westerners were ready to move against the Spanish. Admiral Truxton quoted Burr as describing Wilkinson as "the projector" of the Conspiracy and as having said that he "would never have thought of such designs but for the importunities of Wilkinson.
" By 1806, however, events convinced Wilkinson to abandon his plans. Wilkinson send squads out to track down and arrest Burr. James Wilkinson. BURR, Aaron - Biographical Information. Senate Years of Service: 1791-1795; 1795-1797 Party: Anti-Administration; Republican Bibliography American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law; Burr, Aaron. The Political Correspondence and Public Papers of Aaron Burr. Edited by Mary-Jo Kline. 2 vols. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1983; Parmet, Herbert S., and Hecht, Marie. Brief Biography of Thomas Jefferson. (Born April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, Virginia; died July 4, 1826, Monticello) Miniature portrait of Jefferson (1788) by John Trumbull Thomas Jefferson -- author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third president of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia -- voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era.
As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades. His father Peter Jefferson was a successful planter and surveyor and his mother Jane Randolph a member of one of Virginia's most distinguished families. Having inherited a considerable landed estate from his father, Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old. Jefferson inherited slaves from both his father and father-in-law. After Jefferson left Congress in 1776, he returned to Virginia and served in the legislature.
Harman Blennerhassett. Harman Blennerhassett supposedly conspired to establish an independent nation in the Southwest Harman Blennerhassett was born in the English village of Hambledon, on October 8, 1764, the son of a wealthy Irish land owner -- his parents were in England at the time of his birth due to raids on prominent Irisih landlords by a group of peasant outlaws.
He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and in 1790 was admitted to the Irish bar. His future seemed bright after he inherited his father's estate at the age of 27, but Blennerhassett managed to squander a vast portion of his wealth in a short span of time. In 1796 he married his niece, Margaret Agnew, and was immediately ostracized by his family and neighbors. To make matters worse, he also publicly aligned himself with people who were less-than-satisfied with the British government. Although it is unclear how, Aaron Burr became aware of the supposed wealth of Blennerhassett and paid a visit to his island in 1805. Harman Blennerhassett. Harman Blennerhassett (8 October 1764 – 2 February 1831) was an Anglo-Irish lawyer and politician. Life[edit] Chiefly to escape involvement in the United Irishmen's planned rebellion against British rule, but also to conceal his incestuous marriage, Blennerhassett emigrated to the United States in 1796.
There, on the western Virginia frontier, he bought the upper half of an Ohio River island lying 1 1/2 miles downstream from what is now Parkersburg, West Virginia. It became the site of a European-style estate whose centerpiece was an enormous mansion surrounded by extravagantly landscaped lawns and gardens. For a brief period, the Blennerhassetts' home became famous as the largest, most beautiful private residence in the American West. Blennerhassett's estate on a large island in the Ohio River, a few miles below Parkersburg, W.Va. The most distinguished of the Blennerhassetts' many visitors was the former vice president of the United States, Aaron Burr. Notes[edit] References[edit]
A Chronicle of the Life of Harman Blennerhassett. VOLUME XIII, NO. 1 January 1999 A Chronicle of the Life of Harman Blennerhassett by Micheal Burke The tragic tale of Harman Blennerhassett is one of a man who appeared never to avoid the periods of seemingly self-induced ill fortune. He was, at the same time, well respected aristocrat and a man of cosmopolitan society. However, his inability to overcome an adolescent naivety ultimately sealed his fate and marred the Blennerhassett name forever. His extravagant mansion stands firmly amid the Ohio River as a reminder of his unforgettable existence in western Virginia. Harman Blennerhassett was born October 8, 1764 to Conway Blennerhassett, a wealthy Irish land owner, and his wife Elizabeth Lacy. As a young man in Ireland, Harman Blennerhassett showed signs of resentment toward the established government of the land, and subsequently aligned with unscrupulous characters who held similar views.
Ray Swick, An Island Called Eden (Parkersburg: Parkersburg Printing Company, 1996). Otis K. Alvaro F. How to get there: BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND HISTORICAL STATE PARK LOCATIONS and DIRECTIONS Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park includes both the Blennerhassett Museum located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and Blennerhassett Island located on the Ohio River. Blennerhassett Mansion is on the island with operating hours on dates from May through October. Blennerhassett Museum is located in downtown Parkersburg, WV, and is open year-round.
Access to Parkersburg is offered by US Route 50 east/west and Interstate 77 north/south. Point Park has reopened with the completion of the riverfront. These directions provide specific information from various routes that visitors will be using. BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND HISTORICAL STATE PARK Click to view and print vicinity map DIRECTIONS TO BLENNERHASSETT MUSEUM – Parkersburg, WV I-77 (north/south) and Route 50 East (from Clarksburg, WV) arriving from Route 50 West (from Athens, Ohio) Maps - Driving Directions - Map. Ferried. Nearby- Parkersburg, WV. Other Nearby Attractions. Mileage to Parkersburg. History & Heritage | Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. Download a complete copy of our updated Historic Guide to Wood County (PDF). Section 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 History comes alive in Greater Parkersburg! Learn about plans by Aaron Burr and Harman Blennerhassett in 1806 to undertake a military expedition to the Southwest that many, including President Thomas Jefferson, considered treasonous.
Discover the birth of the nation’s oil and gas industry and the world’s oldest producing oil well. Uncover the story behind the tumultuous creation of the State of West Virginia. Encounter the drama of the Civil War with the Union General George McClellan’s first invasion into the Confederacy through Parkersburg. Experience this intriguing past in one of West Virginia’s most historic cities. Take a ride on an authentic sternwheeler down the majestic Ohio River to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park and explore the beautifully recreated and meticulously furnished Blennerhassett Mansion.
Explore Henderson Hall. Area Overview | Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Greater Parkersburg area boasts several nationally known attractions including The Fenton Art Glass Company, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, and The Oil and Gas Museum, to name a few. Fenton Art Glass until recently was among the world’s foremost producers of handmade art glass. Fenton Art Glass maked glass the old fashioned way using techniques and tools that were essentially unchanged from those of over 100 years ago. Visitors to Fenton Art Glass will find a spacious gift shop and an informative museum.
Built in 1926 for vaudeville acts, the restored Smoot Theatre in downtown Parkersburg offers unforgettable entertainment ranging from artists of international and national prominence to local performers. The Parkersburg Art Center located in downtown Parkersburg features regional and national shows year-round. The Center features exhibitions, classes, guided tours, gift shop, and special events. Looking for a great shopping experience? Introductory Video. State Park Brochure. What to do. Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park Virtual Tour of the Mansion. Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park. Museum. The Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History The Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History opened its doors on April 30, 1988, in response to a long-standing need to preserve, protect and exhibit the region's history.
Although the Daughters of American Pioneers' log house museum in Parkersburg's City Park has preserved many artifacts since 1910, its space and visiting hours are severely limited. The next closest museum to the area is in Marietta, Ohio. The Blennerhassett Museum became the first professionally-operated, publicly-funded museum of regional history in west/central West Virginia. The four-story brick building itself has an interesting past.
The Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History is a showcase of three floors of priceless historical relics and objects of art from the Ohio Valley's past. Located on the corner of Second and Juliana streets, the museum is only three blocks from the Blennerhassett Hotel. Blennerhassett Museum Gift Shop. Visit the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History. Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park near Parkersburg is located on the largest of several islands on the Ohio River. It is home to the reconstructed mansion of Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett – island residents in the 19th century and the park’s main focus. But island history dates further back to 18th century of Native American tribes that lived on the island and as far as 9,000 years ago to Ice Age hunters and wildlife. Associated with Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park is the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History, which is located on the corner of Second and Juliana streets in downtown Parkersburg.
Opened in 1988, this structure houses a showcase of regional history, as well as the state park’s administrative offices and the Friends of Blennerhassett Gift Shop. The museum is three floors of historical relics and objects of art from the Ohio Valley's past. According to Dr. Inside the Museum. Pictures of the Island. Blennerhassett Mansion. Entrance Hall. Bedroom. Kitchen. Dining Room. Mapleshade House.