Altona, historic farm in West Virginia
Altona is a historic plantation in Jefferson County, West Virginia, with a main house built in 1793 by Abraham Davenport Jr., a Revolutionary War veteran. The property includes a Bank Barn from 1850, slave quarters, a brick smokehouse, corn cribs, a Sears catalog house from around 1920, and a large two-story garage with basement built in 1936 with later additions.
Abraham Davenport Jr. purchased the land from Charles Washington and built the main house in 1793. His son Braxton significantly expanded the estate, adding a brick front in the 1830s and constructing a strong stone fence along the road. During the Civil War, Union Generals Sheridan and Grant used the house for military operations.
Altona is named after an estate in Germany, chosen by Elizabeth Bedinger, wife of Colonel Braxton Davenport. The slave quarters on the property stand as a reminder of the people who lived and worked here, and their architectural details speak to the lives of those often overlooked in the broader farm narrative.
Visit during daylight hours to see the buildings and landscape clearly. Wear comfortable shoes since the terrain is uneven and there are no paved paths, and respect any signs or fences that help protect this historic site.
The estate contains a Sears catalog house from around 1920 marketed as the 'Dream House,' a miniaturized version of the main residence. This rare example of a prefabricated catalog home shows how architecture and living adapted during this era.
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