Index to places along the Walking Tour

Index to places along the Walking Tour1. First Guyandotte Baptist Church, 219 Richmond St.

2. Masonic Temple, 222 Richmond St.

3. Keenan House, 232 Main St.

4. Roseberry House, 240 Main St.

5. Hysell House, 302 Main St.

6. Guyandotte United Methodist Church, 305 Main St.

7. McCune House, 304 Main St.

8. Aunt Em Taylor House, 306 Main St.

9. Fruetel-Hennen House, 313 Main St.

10. Z.T. Wellington House, 415 Main St.

11. Murphy House, 401 Main St.

12. Paul Ambrose Trail for Health

13. Guyandotte Methodist Church Cemetery, located along 5th Avenue.

14. Madie Carroll House, 234 Guyan St.

15. Site of the former home of 1950s TV star Dagmar, 222 Guyan St.

16. George Milliron’s Grocery Store, 128 Bridge St.

17. Murphy’s Drug Store, 201 Main St.

18. Buffington-McGinnis House, 101 Main St.

19. Beale House, 102 Main St.

20. Warth House, 207 Water St.

21. Kahler-Sullivan House, 101 Richmond St.

22. Page House, 102 Richmond St.

23. Crawley Hotel, 307 Water St.

24. Congressman John S. Witcher, 108 Richmond St.

4. Roseberry House, 240 Main St. 12. Paul Ambrose Trail for Health13. Guyandotte Methodist Church Cemetery, located along 5th Avenue 14. Madie Carroll House, 234 Guyan St. 21. Kahler-Sullivan House, 101 Richmond St.11. Murphy House, 401 Main St.

17. Murphy’s Drug Store, 201 Main St.This building was built about 1900. It was formerly

Fry’s Hotel, then became a drug store owned by J.H. Page and later by James Murphy.

At the light on Bridge Street, cross the street, taking a left onto Main Street toward the river.

18. Buffington-McGinnis House, 101 Main St.

Built in about 1816, this is a 14-room brick Federal style house built by Henry W. and Charles Lewis. The kitchen is in the basement. One of the most striking features is the two-story front doors. Through the years, the McGinnis family, Buffington family, Smith family and other families have owned the property. In addition, the home served as the headquarters for the Union Army during the Civil War and some say the headquarters of General Jenkins.

19. Beale House, 102 Main St.The Beale House was built around 1908 by John Beale,

a local businessman and historian who promoted the Guyandotte Centennial Celebration in 1910. The house is an excellent example of late Victorian, Queen Anne style with cupola, bays, varied windows and porches.

Take a right onto Water Street.

20. Warth House, 207 Water St.This home was built in 1905 and owned by Judge Henry

Clay Warth. Warth sat on the bench of the Cabell County Common Pleas Court for 28 years. He served on the House of Delegates. During that time, he introduced a bill to create juvenile courts, which subsequently was passed.

Peer through the tall row of hedges at the next home.

21. Kahler-Sullivan House, 101 Richmond St.

This home was built around 1908 by William Kahler, a lumberman, as a wedding present. The interior trim is a mixture of cherry, oak and maple. Lead glass windows adorn the front door. The house is another example of the beautiful Victorian, Queen Anne houses that can still be seen in Guyandotte. The house was moved back on the lot when the floodwall was built.

Dr. William Sullivan, a retired Marshall University professor, and Dr. Ruth Sullivan, who is considered the matriarch of the autism community, bought the home. She helped found the Autism Society of America in 1965 and made great advances about the understanding of autism through the movie “Rain Man.” Sullivan was a consultant for the film, and Dustin Hoffman worked with her son,

Joseph, who has autism, to prepare for his role. That film premiered at the Keith-Albee Theatre in downtown Huntington in 1988. Hoffman thanked the Sullivans when he won the Oscar for Best Actor. Sullivan retired from the Huntington-based Autism Services Center in 2007.

22. Page House, 102 Richmond St.Another early 1900 Victorian home with a gambrel roof

is the Page House. The house has a variety of window shapes, a pent roof, bay and upper-story shingles that characterize a shingle style of architecture. Mr. Page, who owned a grocery store, built the home on the site of the Bukey House Inn.

Keep going across the street and through the alley to get a look at the next home.

23. Crawley Hotel, 307 Water St.Built in 1855 by Jacob Hiltbruner, a tinner. It later

became the Jacob Hiltbruner Hotel, where many social events took place. It was used as a hospital during the Civil War. William “Crawley” Smith owned and operated the house as an inn after 1867. After 1900, the hotel became an apartment building. The house was moved back on the lot when the floodwall was built. In recent years, the building was rehabilitated by its owners, Karen and Johnny Nance.

Turn back towards Richmond Street, and turn left on Richmond Street.

24. Congressman John S. Witcher, 108 Richmond St.

Originally constructed in 1855 by John S. Baker, it became the home of Congressman John S. Witcher in 1869. John S. Witcher was born in 1839 and raised in Cabell County, the son of Jeramiah and Mary Polly Thompson Witcher. John Witcher served in the Federal Army during the Civil War and was commissioned Lt. Colonel of the 3rd WV Cavalry on May 6, 1865. He later was Brevetted Brigadier General of the U.S. Volunteers on March 13, 1865. During his life, he was Cabell County Clerk, 1861; member of the W.Va. Legislature, 1866-1867; Secretary of State, 1867-68; Regent of the State Normal School, 1867-68; U.S. Congressman, 1869-70; Director of the C&O Railroad, 1869-70; and held many other federal appointments. He is buried in Arlington Cemetery. The house is a nine-room Victorian Double I-House. The above historical research provided by historian Karen Nance and the Rick Whisman Civil War Museum.

Half way down the block take a right (between

Richmond and Buffington streets), and walk back toward Moore’s Hardware store. From there, you will again see the Guyandotte Public Library.

DowntownGuyandotte

Located at the confluence of Ohio and Guyandotte rivers ...

Guyandotte was boiling up a wild and wonderful history for 60 years before Huntington was formed in 1871.

A bustling Ohio River port by the mid-19th century, Guyandotte’s Buffington Mill was one of the largest flour mills on the river between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Full of hotels and taverns, it was a hot spot for travelers by river and then by road in the 1830s, when roads connected Guyandotte with the county seat of Barboursville, by way of the James River and Kanawha turnpikes.

The story goes that Collis P. Huntington, one of America’s richest railroad magnates, got angry about a parking ticket on a horse outside a Guyandotte tavern. That made him Holderby’s Landing, which became Huntington, as his hub.

And the Guyandotte skyline would be much taller than just the Lighthouse Bar with its unique inland lighthouse.

Not surprisingly, Guyandotte became a hot bed for Civil War violence. When Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861, Guyandotte was one of the only towns along the Ohio River to vote to do so, and the Virginia state flag was displayed.

That volatile mix of Confederate sympathizers in the midst of Union strongholds created the Battle of Guyandotte that took place Nov. 10-11, 1861. Though about two-thirds of the town burned, by 1872, Guyandotte had bounced back with more than 50 businesses operating in the community of about 1,000 people.

Although the City of Huntington annexed Guyandotte in 1911, Guyandotte has always kept its own sense of community, history and stories. It perhaps is best known for its Civil War Days, which is held on the first weekend in November and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2014.

First put together by Karen Nance and friends of the Madie Carroll House, this 1.3-mile walk has been transformed into a lively Haunted and Historic Walking Tour that blends history and legend. Those tours are conducted several times a year by the Huntington Paranormal Investigations & Research. Visit www.guyandotteghosts.com.

Start at the Guyandotte Branch Library

... located at 203 Richmond St., which is home to historic displays and lots of local history resources.

From the library parking lot, turn right onto Richmond Street.

1. First Guyandotte Baptist Church, 219 Richmond St.This massive white-sided church was

rebuilt in 1867 on the same foundation after the Union Army burned the church on Nov. 11, 1861. The original brick church, with an interior gallery for slaves, was built in 1858.

One of two churches burned during the Civil War battle, the Baptist Church was burned after two unsuccessful attempts when Union soldiers tore off the shutters and stuffed them with straw before setting them alight in the church belfry, according to historian Joe Geiger. In 1909, the Guyandotte Baptist Church was awarded $2,500 by the United States government for wartime damage. The church is a good example of a Greek Revival Victorian Church.

2. Masonic Temple, 222 Richmond St.

Built in 1893 as a school house, this is one of the oldest Masonic Lodges in the area. It is located across the street from the Baptist Church. The building is an Italianate style public building with a low-pitched gable roof, soffit brackets and tall windows.

Once you are past the church, take a right and walk up the alley through the park until you reach Main Street. The greenspace park owned by the VFW is home to encampments during the Guyandotte Civil War Days as well as other neighborhood events throughout the year. When you see the VFW Post 9738 in front of you, turn left onto Main Street and walk several blocks down Main, where historic houses line both sides of the street.

3. Keenan House, 232 Main St.

This home, an 1832 Federal Style, was built in the early 1800s by William Stone. Other owners include John Russell, Andrew J. Keenan (bought in 1845 and owned during the Civil War), Albert E. Smith (bought in 1894), Wyatt Smith (a local newspaper columnist), Richard Blenko and the VFW. The house caught fire in the early 1980s when the back-ell additions, as well as the historic interior, were lost. The house was also home to the KYOWVA Genealogical and Historical Society for a number of years before it moved to the West End.

4. Roseberry House, 240 Main St.

Built in 1867 by A. Roseberry who operated the Guyandotte Woolen Mills. Later, it was owned by J.E. Robertson (1887) and William C. Dusenberry (1907). Dusenberry altered the front porch and kept gardens in the back yard. A veranda porch wraps around the front (west side) and south side of the house, which also exhibits Victorian features and additions. This is the only brick home built in the area around the turn of the century that still stands. It is currently owned by John Belcher, a nationally traveling Civil War reenactor who portrays Gen. Albert Gallatin Jenkins and who has completely restored the home. Jenkins was a U.S. Congressman before stepping down to lead the 8th Virginia Cavalry. He led his unit into battles and raids

in four states before being severely wounded at Cloyd’s Mountain in Virginia. Jenkins died from his wounds on May 21, 1864.

5. Hysell House, 302 Main St.

Originally built in 1841 as a typical pre-Civil War home. William Henry Wilson made massive alterations around 1910, changing the house into a late Victorian-Italianate style home. The original roof is said to still be intact under the complex tile hip roof visible today. Descendants of the original owner owned the house until recent years.

6. Guyandotte United Methodist Church,

305 Main St.The congregation was first organized

in 1804 by Francis Asbury, father of American Methodism. However, in 1844, the congregation divided into the Methodist Episcopal Church South and the Methodist Episcopal Church North over the issue of slavery. The original church was destroyed after being used as a Union commissary and storehouse during the war. The original 1804 church for the congregation sat west of the Guyandotte Cemetery.

The church was rebuilt in 1869. The church’s architecture is an example of New England Colonial with its steeple, doorway and fanlight.

7. McCune House, 304 Main St.

This land was purchased in 1848 on a land grant. The house was built by Benjamin McCune in 1850. Mr. McCune died in 1857, and the house went to the county to be sold to cover his debts. The house sold at auction for $121.50 which included a $2 processing fee. In 1905, the home was purchased by Dr. William Cummings and his wife, Emma T. Cummings. There have been four additions to the house, bringing the total number of rooms to 13 plus an attic and basement. There are two fireplaces —one in the formal living room and the other in the parlor. Floors on the first floor are circa 1937 and are solid oak. The second story has the original poplar floors.

8. Aunt Em Taylor House, 306 Main St.

Built circa 1872. Mr. Johan A. Taylor was an agent for the B&O Depot in Guyandotte, and Aunt Em was a school teacher. The house, of the Victorian period, has a metal gable-end roof and once had with a wooden sunburst.

9. Fruetel-Hennen House, 313 Main St.

This home was built circa 1836. The exterior is covered with vertical board and batten siding, as found in the Jenny Lind style, which is unique to the area. Known

owners have been Dr. J.H. Hysell; Julius Fruetel, a butcher; the Hennen family (1912-1980s); and its current owner, historian and author Bob Withers, who is retired from The Herald-Dispatch. Withers, who worked for 38 years as a reporter and copy editor, is known for his train history books, including “The President Travels By Train.” Withers, a charter member of the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society Inc., a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, has also written for Trains magazine, Classic Trains magazine, Railfan & Railroad magazine and was a contributor to the Encyclopedia of North American Railroads (Indiana University Press, 2007).

10. Z.T. Wellington House, 415 Main St.

A Federal pre-Civil War home, built circa 1847. It acquired, during the Victorian period, Italianate features. Mr. Wellington was a carpenter, county assessor, deputy sheriff, councilman and postmaster. The house served as the Guyandotte post office for awhile. In the summer of 2013, that home was just leased bought by well-known area artist Debra Richardson, who is known for her paintings of historic Guyandotte homes. Her artwork is on the Civil War Trails marker at the Madie Carroll House. The current owners are Johnny and Karen Nance, who restored the home to its 1870s appearance and placed it on the National Register of Historic Places.

11. Murphy House, 401 Main St.

Built about 1880 by James Murphy, a local druggist, this house is one more excellent example of Victorian-Queen Anne architecture in Guyandotte. Other owners include Dr. William Nease and the Guyandotte Women’s Club. The interior underwent major alterations during its use as the Women’s Club.

After passing the Pioneer West Virginia Federal Credit Union, cross Main Street and take a right behind the floodwall to the marker and map for the Guyandotte to Altizer portion of the PATH (Paul Ambrose Trail for Health). Behind the floodwall, double back to the 5th Avenue bridge for a beautiful short stroll along the banks of the Guyandotte River.

12. Paul Ambrose Trail for Health

This 1.25-mile trail for cyclists, walkers and runners goes from the Guyandotte boat ramp to the Washington Boulevard bridge in Altizer. Named for Dr. Paul Ambrose, a promising young physician who died Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists crashed the plane he was on into the Pentagon, planners view the 26-mile trail system known as the Paul Ambrose Trail for Health or PATH as a tool to fight obesity and enhance the quality of life for Tri-State residents. The PATH has completed portions that include a Ritter Park

to Harveytown Park connector, paved trail on top of the floodwall west of Harris Riverfront Park to Westmoreland. It also includes Share the Road routes. Through grants, fundraising, sponsorships and individual contributions, more than $2.5 million has been raised to support the construction and maintenance of the PATH. See more of the PATH at www.paulambrosetrailforhealth.org.

Be careful crossing 5th Avenue north back toward Guyan Street. On your right halfway up the block, check out the cemetery.

13. Guyandotte Methodist Church Cemetery, located

along 5th AvenueThe oldest church cemetery in Cabell

County. Many of the area’s early settlers are buried in this cemetery as well as several American Revolutionary soldiers who, in 1929, were moved to the cemetery by the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution. The Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District is the caretaker.

Arianna Holderby, the first wife of James Holderby, one of the founders of Huntington, is buried there. Mary Handley, whose maiden name was Harrison and was a relative of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison, is buried there. She died when she was trampled by a yoke of oxen while tending her garden at age 84.

Dudley Smith is buried in the cemetery. He died as a child, and his parents then used that name for their next child, who was born just a few months later. He grew up to become one of the first sheriffs in Cabell County.

Once you’ve seen the cemetery, head back to Guyan Street, which is noted for its floodwall murals that were painted in the 1990s of Heiner’s Bakery, the Murphy House, Keenan House, Madie Carroll House and other river scenes.

14. Madie Carroll House, 234 Guyan St.

Built before 1810, James Gallaher floated it down the river from Gallipolis by flatboat in 1810. Thomas Carroll’s family moved into the Carroll House in 1852 and bought the home in 1855, when it became an inn as well as the first Catholic Church in Cabell County. The house was used as an inn after the Carrolls purchased the house. Collis P. Huntington stopped at the inn while he was looking at property for his railroad.

Story has it that he got a ticket for illegally parking his horse. That ticket ticked him off so much he decided not to build the C&O terminus in Guyandotte but to move further west, where he founded the city of Huntington.

The Madie Carroll House is most famous for its role in the Civil War, as the iron-willed Mary Carroll somehow convinced Union soldiers who were torching homes all around her to move on.

A local piano teacher and community leader, Madie Carroll willed the historic

home to her nephew, Lewis Carroll. The house became the Historic Madie Carroll House in 1973 when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Carroll family deeded the house to the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District in 1984, and it is now being restored by the Madie Carroll House Preservation Society Inc.

In 2011, three signs were placed at the home as part of the nationwide Civil War Trails that has more than 1,300 historical markers across the region. Other Civil War Trails markers in Cabell County are at Gen. Jenkins Plantation home in Green Bottom along Route 2 and Barboursville City Park, which is near a Civil War battlefield site.

15. Site of the former home of 1950s TV star Dagmar,

222 Guyan St.Nothing against good neighbor and long-

time Guyandotte business Navy’s Garage, but it’s hard to imagine a more glamorous person coming from a less glamorous place. Although the modest home where the late TV legend Virginia Ruth Egnor or “Dagmar” grew up is gone, you can see the setting. It’s now a vacant lot beside a garage, bordering an alley and facing a floodwall.

From this tucked away spot was born and raised Dagmar, the buxom and tall blonde who stole America’s hearts as one of its first female TV stars in the 1950s on the NBC show “Broadway Open House.” At the height of her career, the Huntington High School grad was getting more than 8,000 fan letters a month and living in a Central Park South penthouse built for Al Jolson that featured a driving range on the terrace. She starred in her own show, called “Dagmar’s Canteen,” and was a guest on TV’s first telethon with Milton Berle. She recorded an album of duets with Frank Sinatra for RCA.

She made the cover of LIFE magazine in 1951. In fact, this very spot in Guyandotte was one of many places around town used during the Alfred Eisenstadt photo shoot. Dagmar was photographed at her home place with her mama, Spicie, cooking up a big chicken dinner. Dagmar was honored by her hometown with a plaque on the Huntington Wall of Fame, getting recommendation letters from Berle as well as Bob Hope, who had Dagmar on his very first TV show.

Once you get to Bridge Street, take a right and start walking to the corner of Bridge and Main past such long-time businesses as the post office and the uniquely designed Lighthouse Bar and Grill

16. George Milliron’s Grocery Store, 128 Bridge St.

This shop was owned by George Milliron, who owned the adjoining hardware and dry goods stores. Bernie Dunkle, son-in-law, inherited the operation. Later, the structure was used as a pool room and barber shop by “Barber” Miller.