The Doctors House

See much larger image HERE

When I studied this photo, I immediately realized that it was Kanawha Falls, with Glen Ferris in the background.  But this house?  I had driven past it several times in my journeys and didnt pay that much attention to it.  But looking carefully at the photo, with it's interesting garden,  the ferry boats crossing the river, the cars waiting to get on, (The Clark's operated the ferry until the toll bridge was built).  I had to know more.  This wasnt your average coal barons home.  This was something different.  Not only that, but when this beautiful home was built, there was no bridge as there is today, so every crossing had to be made by Ferry, and as the river flooded very often back then, this was a real problem.  I attempted to get this same angle of the house today, but the growth prevented it, so I took photos of the house from the yard.  You can see them at the bottom of this page. So...  who lived in this house?

Later called Laird Memorial Hospital.

I cant imagine this very well-to-do young woman moving from Paris France to Kanawha Falls WV

Her fathers company still does worldwide business today.

Talk about culture shock, but not for long...

The property started out as the lumber yard and sawmill of Aaron Stockton a local pioneer. Then the Kilbourne and Jacobs Manufacturing Company from Columbus Ohio took over. The president of the company was Colonel James Kilbourne, a Civil War hero.   Kilbourne & Jacobs Mfg. Co.  had this lumber yard and a narrow gauge railroad in which they shipped lumber to all parts of the world. He was one of the founders of what today is Nationwide Children’s Hospital and was attuned to the plight of the workingman during a time when conflicts between labor and industry were becoming common. Kilbourne & Jacobs lasted until the early 1920s and then went bankrupt. Then the property was owned by the daughter of Aaron Stockton, (a descendant of the earliest settlers in the area. Her family started the first stage coach stop/tavern that later became the Glen Ferris Inn.)   Sometime after that, Dr Laird purchased it.

The property today is still beautiful

.

The Laird Foundation owns the property now.

In closing, here is an ad from the era of the old photograph:

Copyright 2016

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