Michael STUMP

                   http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwseries.html#S
The Diaries of George Washington Vol. 1

Michael Stump, Sr. (1709--1768), received a grant for Lot No. 3, on the South Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac, on 8 Sept. 1749 (Northern Neck Deeds and Grants, Book G, 227, Vi Microfilm).

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Stump Cabin Open Saturday Only

The Stump Cabin, generally recognized as the oldest extant structure in West Virginia, is a must-see for anyone wondering how life was lived in the untamed frontier of the mid-1700s.

Sometime around 1746, Michael Stump, who later two or three years later would gain a deed to 366-acres from Lord Fairfax, built a small cabin and moved his family to this rich, but unsettled and untamed, land along the South Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac.

In October 1746, according to the History of Hardy County, a surveying crew, including Peter Jefferson, father of Thomas Jefferson, reached Stumps Run and, needing provisions, found "but one family of poor Dutch people from whom we could have no Supply." These "poor Dutch people" likely were the Stumps, who were German. And it was not the last visit of an historical figure from the colonial era.

When he was just 16, George Washington accompanied Lord Fairfax' survey team to the area and recorded in his diary that he spent several days with the Stumps while the survey team worked in the area in 1748.

As the family grew, so did the cabin. Stump or his son added a second cabin joined to the first by a center front door. A massive central chimney has openings to serve both cabins. The second story was added later.

The property remained in the hands of the Stump family until 1973, when John Buhl, unaware of its historical value, purchased the property. Having learned of its significance, he and his wife Bev have considered themselves more "caretakers" than owners, preserving it as an important piece of local and state history.

Open courtesy John and Beverly Buhl
Directions: About 13 miles south of Moorefield on South Fork Road (SR7).
Watch for the green flag on the left. Turn in, cross the bridge and go one
mile.