White Bush

White Bush
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Rt. 11/3, Falling Waters, West Virginia
Coordinates	39°34′8″N 77°52′19″W / 39.56889°N 77.87194°WCoordinates: 39°34′8″N 77°52′19″W / 39.56889°N 77.87194°W
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1790
Architectural style	Georgian, Federal
MPS	Berkeley County MRA
NRHP Reference #	80004428[1]
Added to NRHP	December 10, 1980

White Bush, alternately spelled Whitebush, is one of Berkeley County, West Virginia's oldest brick mansions. It was built circa 1781-1785 by Archibald Shearer, who had purchased the entire bend of the Potomac River in this area, about 1,200 acres (4.9 km²). The area at that time was part of Frederick County, Virginia. The property was formerly owned by Lord Fairfax, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron but was confiscated as British property during the American Revolutionary War. A grist and saw mill had been established on the riverfront not far from the mansion by 1785.^[2]

The mansion is a rare combination of Federal architecture in the main mansion, and a later Victorian style addition.

White Bush was accepted into the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980. It is alternately listed as the Archibald Shearer House. It is also listed in the Berkeley County Historical Society and the Berkeley County Historical Landmarks Commission Survey.

References

1. National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Don C. Wood (n.d.). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: White Bush" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2011-06-02.