| The Retreat was completed in 1896 by Henry Martin Pfau (36) who died just ten days later from typhoid fever. Henry was married to Malinda Irons of Tucker County and had five children: Harland, Ora, Iva, Otha, and Edna. His family never moved into the home choosing to sell it to Joseph French Harding. Joseph and his wife, the former Luceba E. Wilmoth, lived there with their seven children. The house remained in the Harding family until 1957 when it was sold and went through a few hands before being purchased in 1993 by Leslie Henderson who now operates the property as a wonderful Bed and Breakfast.. |
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Joseph and Luceba Harding |
| Joseph French Harding was born in Maryland in 1838 and died in 1919.
His family was of Scottish descent with a fair amount of military experience.
It is said that an ancestor was commander-in-chief of the Army in England. At
the age of 23 Joseph, living in West Virginia, joined the Confederate Army in
Huttonsville, WV. For four years he fought in the mountain regions and earned
himself great fame as a soldier. When the Union soldiers came upon Major Harding in
a skirmish, they had great respect for his abilities and respected him for his
"honor" in battle. It is said that Major Harding fired the last shot of the Civil War. The incident which leads to this statement is quite interesting. General Lee had surrendered to Grant one month prior to Captain Badger's run in with Harding. Badger, a Union Captain in Beverly, was told to ride to Pocohantas County and bring back as much federal collateral as he could find. The war was pretty much over and the Union wanted to cut their losses. On the patrol Badger ran into Major Harding and a small band of men. When a Union soldier approached Harding on horseback, Harding aimed his pistol. The soldier, seeing the barrel of Harding's gun, pulled the reins and Harding shot the horse. The incident was documented by Captain Badger and may actually have been the last documented shot fired. The story continues with Harding and Ward walking back to Beverly to surrender. During the journey, Harding heard there were confederate soldiers still fighting west of the Mississippi River. Upon reaching Beverly he failed to surrender and actually considered heading west. The war was all but over and before he began his journey he ended up writing his own parole on 5/23/1865 and simply went back to his private life. The man must have been admired for in 1876 he was elected as Randolph County Sheriff in a landslide victory. After serving as Sheriff, Harding went to Law School and became a lawyer in 1885 at the age of 47. He practiced law until his death in 1919.
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The
Retreat |
| The first view (below) shows the front of the house facing Harpertown Road. The next picture shows the side porch facing Elkins which runs along the entire side. The third picture shows the "Harpertown" side of the house with the porch wrapping itself only partially around this end. Finally, the house is shown from the backside giving the viewer an idea of the wonderful gardening that has gone on over the years and which Leslie so faithfully maintains today. |
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| The picture on the left (below) was taken across the living room towards the main staircase. The front door can not be seen in the picture, but it is to the left. The doorway at the bottom of the staircase leads to the dining room. To the right (same picture) is the entranceway to the kitchen and a downstairs office area. The center picture shows the dining room. The picture on the right shows the second floor staircase railing. The door leads to a small porch situated above the front door one story below. The staircase goes up to the third floor at the end of the hallway. |
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| Much to the credit of Harry and Leslie Henderson, The Retreat has been able to maintain its original style and flavor, if you will, as it was being remodeled and repaired. The outside is basically the same as when it was built (a tribute to German lap siding, roofed porches, and generous overhangs). Inside there is over 3000 square feet of living space which has been remodelled over the years. Currently, the home has eleven rooms, 4 1/2 baths, an attic and a basement. The Don Gilbert house, next door, was the original site of the Harding's tennis court. |
