Winner of the 2021 Historic Shepherdstown Preservation Award, The Christian Clise house began life as a simple log building in 1789, when Clise completed his two-story house on a stone foundation. These original two rooms (one on each floor) retain their wide-plank flooring and hand-hewn beams. Succeeding owners enlarged the house by doubling the size of the basement and adding a center hall and two additional bays in 1819.
Almost 100 years later, a final addition of a two-story rear extension, added a charming kitchen/dining/sitting area on the main floor. “We live in this room,” says the current owner. Of interest are the intriguing cabinetry, open beams and brick wall.
The house has witnessed a lot of history in its two-plus centuries. The stone basement is believed to have served as the James Tavern, where the Shepherdstown Town Council held meetings. Two massive stone fireplaces dominate the former tavern room, with its stone walls and rough beam ceiling still intact. In 1862, following the Battle of Antietam, Confederate wounded were sheltered in the house. Some thirty years later, it was the site of a notorious murder.
Refreshments will be served.
