A little bit about the house and the town…
The House
Physician & surgeon Dr. Belmont W. McBee and his wife Ida built the house in 1898; however, they only lived in it for a relatively short time, selling the house to Ida’s sister Gertrude and husband Joseph Largent in 1905. Census records for 1910 indicate the doctor and his wife were living in a rental home on Jackson St in Paw Paw next to Joseph and Gertrude who were raising the McBee’s teenage son. Dr. McBee died of dysentery in 1918, and by 1920 Ida and her now adult son were living on Railroad St down by the B&O Train Depot and apple packing plants.
Since being purchased by Gertrude and Joseph Largent the house has been sold more than a dozen times, the most recent purchase was by Cacapon Preservation Solutions, LLC in August 2023 who oversaw the adaptive reuse of the property. Cacapon Preservation Solutions, LLC was established by an architect and local historian with the vision of protecting and preserving West Virginia’s historical places for the benefit of current and future generations. In fulfilling that vision, the firm consults with and assists WV property owners, municipalities, residents, and concerned citizens who want to protect and preserve historic structures navigate the historic preservation process.
The Town
With the beginning of commercial navigation of the Potomac River in 1749 by fur traders of the Ohio Company, who traveled as far west as Cumberland, MD, land in the vicinity of present-day Paw Paw was settled by farmers and rivermen. As additional settlers began arriving around 1800 in the immediate area of present-day Paw Paw, a town began to emerge, and this growth accelerated in 1836 as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company began work on the Paw Paw Tunnel directly across the Potomac River in Maryland. Then two years later, in 1838, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad – constructing a rail line from Harpers Ferry to Cumberland, MD – reached the settlement. Shortly thereafter two general merchandise stores and a train depot (1845) were constructed.
In 1846 the first Post Office was established with Isaac Baker as the postmaster. Local lore says the settlement was referred to as “Isaac Baker’s Store or Depot” before gaining the name “Paw Paw Tunnel”. Eventually “Tunnel” was dropped and the community became simply known as “Paw Paw”.
The town of Paw Paw was established (incorporated) in 1891 and its primary employer from 1868 until 1951 was a large tannery on the banks of the Potomac River known for making the finest industrial belt leather in the world. A large orchard (primarily apple) industry also was centered in Paw Paw. The orchards lasted from 1894 until 1985.
The town of Paw Paw is currently home to four historic buildings individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the 1893 Mayor’s Office and Lockup on Lee St; the 1876 St Charles Catholic Mission Church (next door to the McBee House); the 1928 two-room Black School on Amelia St; and the 1909 Senator P.E. Nixon House on the corner of Winchester and Lee. Also of note are the circa 1882 B&O Train Depot designed by noted architect E. Francis Baldwin; the imposing 1940 Consolidated Orchard Packing Plant; and the 1942 Consolidated Distributors Headquarters (current Town Hall).