Rod Glover and Tom Mayes stand together in front of their home at 205 West Washington Street in Shepherdstown. Courtesy photo

“We’ve saved this historic home for another 100 years,” said Rod Glover, who with his husband Tom Mayes, purchased the gothic revival cottage built circa 1881 at 205 West Washington Street in Shepherdstown, in May 2021. While it may not be that simple with a 146 year old home and the imprint that future owners might make, it is fair to say that the efforts and investment by Glover and Mayes have enhanced our historic town.

In a town with as long a history of architectural diversity as Shepherdstown, each structure has a story. This includes the people, past and present, and a glimpse into how it is being preserved for future generations. The goal is to tell these stories in this new, monthly column sponsored by the nonprofit group Historic Shepherdstown.

Rod Glover, artist and member of the Over the Mountain Studio group, and Tom Mayes, the general counsel of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in D.C. (and a member of the Shepherdstown Historic Landmarks Commission), first arrived on the local scene when, in 2002, they purchased a 1954 cabin for weekend use on Whitings Neck Road, with great views of and access to the Potomac River. After 2019, when Glover and his business partner sold their pioneering home goods business, Home Rule, on 14th Street NW in D.C., Glover began spending most of his time at the cabin, where Mayes joined him on weekends.

Glover and Mayes are the tenth owners of the property that is now 205 West Washington Street. The lot was transferred from Thomas Shepherd’s son, Abraham, to the first owner, Michael Reichart, in 1788. In 1869, the lot was reduced through subdivision, with sections of it now being part of the old St. Agnes and an adjacent Church Street residence. William and Mary Arthur bought the property for $82 in 1881 and subsequently built a home on the property. It is not known if it was the first structure built there, but late 18th and early 19th century artifacts are found each time Glover and Mayes dig a new garden bed. William was a Confederate war veteran, now buried at Elmwood Cemetery. During the 1870s, he owned a canal boat that he used to haul coal to Georgetown on the C&O. Glover and Mayes believe he sold the boat for the proceeds to purchase the property and build the original house, which he and his wife sold to Thomas Callahan in 1890 for $1,000.

Mayes, 2018 author of “Why Old Places Matter,” had been attracted for some time to the home, as it reminded him of the old houses where he grew up near Davidson, N.C. The last renovation of the house occurred in the 1970s, when most original elements in the house (except the central stairway) were removed; an enclosed rear porch was added along with a first floor bathroom and bedroom above.

The ten-month rehab, assisted by the state’s historic tax credit for homeowners which imposed architectural guidelines, was more extensive than they had originally planned. Found clues were used to recreate molding and woodwork. Original door hinges and knobs found underneath the house served as models. HVAC was added, kitchen and bathrooms were updated to contemporary standards and the plumbing throughout was updated. The original central stairway was preserved. Original wood floors in two rooms were used to help recreate similar floors in other rooms. The exterior was repainted to project a fresh white finish. In the rear yard is one of the few outhouses still existing in town — now used as a potting shed, with the original two seats preserved. The diamond cutout on the outhouse door is a design element used elsewhere on the fence pickets and new porch railing design. An outbuilding at the back of the yard, which appears on the 1899 Sanborn map, has been rebuilt several times and is now used as Glover’s art studio.

It seems easy to believe that with Glover’s and Mayes’ purchase and subsequent rehab four years ago, their gothic revival cottage has never looked and presented better. We have them to thank for helping keep their piece of Shepherdstown true to its history and architecture.

Historic Shepherdstown board member Greg Coble wrote this column, with research and editorial assistance of fellow board members Marellen Aherne and Terry Fulton. Historic Shepherdstown is a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving Shepherdstown’s unique architectural character and building public understanding of the town’s distinctive history through its museum and other programs. For more information and how to become a member, go to https://historicshepherdstown.com.