The White house?
Is this last home of former Gov. A.B. WhiteBy JODY MURPHY, jmurphy@newsandsentinel.com
Article Photos
PARKERSBURG - Is an old house along Murdoch Avenue the final home of the state's last governor from Wood County?
Some local historians say there is evidence 1040 Murdoch Ave. was the last home of former West Virginia Gov. Albert Blakeslee White. While there is strong evidence White lived at the property, there is still some doubt about the site's ownership.
Jim Miracle, head of the Wood County Landmarks Commission, said until several months ago it was largely believed the home of former Gov. William Stevenson on Juliana Street was the only standing home of a chief executive from Wood County.
"At the time, I only knew of the Stevenson house," Miracle said. "Since then, we have been trying to find out if White's house is still here or not -which would be a plus if it is."
White was the 11th governor of the state. A Republican, he served one term from 1901-05. He was also the county's last man to serve as the state's chief executive.
When White passed away July 3, 1941, obituaries, stories and editorials in both the Parkersburg News and the Parkersburg Sentinel, stated White died at his 1040 Murdoch Ave. home.
A brief memorial service was also held for White at the house.
The former governor had been ill for sometime, according to newspaper accounts. It was reported he'd been bedfast for the final two years of life.
White was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1856. He attended Marietta College and graduated valedictorian in 1878. White went to work for a newspaper in Indiana, before returning to Parkersburg to run the Parkersburg State Journal from 1883 to 1889.
White became active in politics, serving as campaign manager for U.S. Sen. Stephen B. Elkins.
As governor, White focused on revising the state's constitution and the tax code, which led to the creation of a state tax commissioner.
After his term as governor, White served as state tax commissioner. He was also active in various banking and insurance businesses in Parkersburg. In the mid-1920s he re-entered politics, serving as a state senator.
A search of the Wood County Clerk's deeds found White and his wife Agnes made a number of property deals, including the 1918 sale to Charles Martin for a site on Murdoch Avenue for $20,250.
Newspaper articles dealing with White's passing, noted the family had at least two homes in the city, a house on Fourth Street with four acres of pasture and a 15-room house on Murdoch Avenue. A search of the clerk's deed room found no such listings for the Whites. And a search of the 1040 Murdoch Ave. property, owned by F&B Properties, found no link to the Whites. The property has been transferred 11 times with deeds dating back to 1865.
It's clear White lived and died at 1040 Murdoch Ave., but did he or his wife own the property? There is still no explanation or ownership link between the Whites and their 1040 Murdoch Ave. residence.
"I'd get more excited if we knew that he owned the home," said Bob Enoch, president of the Wood County Historical and Preservation Society. "The fact White would have spent time in that house, I don' know how significant it is.
"I'm sure some further research could determine if he owned it."
Miracle agreed.
"We need to search the deed. A lot of deed searches, genealogical history searches, which is being done, but it is a slow process."
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RickWT
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07-05-08 8:05 PM
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Thank goodness Parkersburg's history is finally receiving the attention it has always deserved.
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