LEARN
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park, located on a small island in the Ohio River, is an island paradise with a dramatic past. In 1805, the island’s Palladian mansion was headquarters for Aaron Burr’s military expedition to the Southwest and his treasonous plot to create a new country independent of the United States. Groups travel to the island via sternwheeler riverboat from Point Park. Groups can enjoy tours of the grounds, mansion, and museum, along with horse-drawn carriage rides. The island is open seasonally from May through October.
WALK
During walking tours of the Julia-Ann Square Historic District, your group will marvel at the varied architecture in the area. The self-guided tour includes the 1869 Romanesque St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Federal-style Civil War Hospital, and Queen Anne-style Blennerhassett Hotel. There are also 49 homes on the tour in Late Federal/Early Victorian, Gothic red brick, Second Empire, Medieval Romantic, New England, and Colonial Williamsburg architectural styles.
DISCOVER
Henderson Hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is an afternoon adventure in itself. A trip back to the early American Victorian era, the 8,000-square-feet mansion has 29 rooms decorated with priceless artifacts, antiques, and furnishings. Occupied by the Henderson family for five generations, the estate was bequeathed to the Oil and Gas Historical Association in 2007 by the last living ancestor. Speaking of which: The nationally recognized Oil & Gas Museum, housed in a former hardware store, traces the roots of America’s oil and gas industry through artifacts like pumps, tools, and engines, as well as historical photos.
Main Image: Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park; Credit: West Virginia Tourism/Matt Sanchez
