Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
| Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park | |
|---|---|
 Reconstructed Blennerhassett Mansion, 2008 | |
  Location of Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park in West Virginia | |
| Location | Wood, West Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°16′19″N 81°37′29″W / 39.27194°N 81.62472°W |
| Area | 511 acres (207 ha)[1] |
| Elevation | 575 ft (175 m) |
| Website | wvstateparks |
Blennerhassett Island Historic District | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Parkersburg, West Virginia |
| Area | 508.6 acres (205.8 ha) |
| Built | 1799 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001294[2] |
| Added to NRHP | September 7, 1972 |
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park is a state park located on Blennerhassett Island, a small island in the Ohio River, located in Wood County, West Virginia, USA. The property was the site of a Palladian mansion owned by Harman Blennerhassett, a participant in some of the alleged intrigues of Aaron Burr, and his wife Margaret Agnew.[3] While the original mansion burned to the ground in 1811, a detailed replica, which can be toured, was built on its foundations in the 1980s. The Blennerhasset mansion greatly resembled George Washington's Mount Vernon, due to its Palladian style.[4][5]
The park is accessed via sternwheeler riverboat from Point Park on 2nd Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The riverboat ride takes about 20 minutes each way.
Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History
[edit]The Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History operates in conjunction with the state park. The Museum is located two blocks from the riverboat landing at the corner of 2nd and Juliana Streets. Exhibits focus on the regional history of west and central West Virginia, and include household furnishings, art, clothing, and prehistoric Native American tools, jewelry, weapons and items. Admission is separate from the park.
Features
[edit]- Horsedrawn carriage rides
- Restored 1802 Putnam-Houser House
- Gift shop
- Picnic shelters
- Bicycle rentals
- Hiking
Accessibility
[edit]West Virginia University assessed the park's accessibility to the disabled in 2005, and rated its facilities as "accessible" by the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act.[6]
-
Drawing of the Blennerhassett home, circa 1800. -
North end of Blennerhassett Island -
Drawing from Appleton's Cyclopædia of American Biography
See also
[edit]- Blennerhassett Island Bridge
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Wood County, West Virginia
- List of West Virginia state parks
References
[edit]- ^ West Virginia State Parks Facilities Grid, accessed March 29, 2008 Archived March 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Gibbens, Alvaro F., Historic Blennerhassett Island Home, Global Printing and Binding Co., Parkersburg, WV 1914.
- ^ "Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park".
- ^ Marlene Hershman (May 1982). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Blennerhassett Island Historic District" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
- ^ Guide to Accessible Recreation and Travel in WV, WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities web site, accessed July 31, 2006 Archived July 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
External links
[edit]- Official website for state park
- Official website for visitors' info/amenities
- Cajoe Phillips, a former slave of the Blennerhassett Island Plantation
- History of West Virginia
- Ohio River
- State parks of West Virginia
- Protected areas of Wood County, West Virginia
- Historic house museums in West Virginia
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia
- Historic districts in Wood County, West Virginia
- History museums in West Virginia
- Blennerhassett Island
- Museums in Wood County, West Virginia
- Georgian architecture in West Virginia
- Palladian Revival architecture in West Virginia
- Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places in Wood County, West Virginia
- Plantation houses in West Virginia
- Houses in Wood County, West Virginia
- Rebuilt buildings and structures in West Virginia
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia
- Museums on the National Register of Historic Places in West Virginia