A long-standing piece of Clarksburg history came down recently when the classic home at 239 E Main St. was demolished. This once-elegant residence had stood as a quiet witness to decades of neighborhood change, offering a glimpse into the city’s architectural past. Local residents recall its vintage charm and the stories it contained, noting its distinctive design features that are now increasingly rare.
Though the demolition marks the end of an era, it also opens the door for future development on East Main Street. Community members are hopeful that any new construction will honor the spirit of the neighborhood’s heritage while contributing something fresh and functional to Clarksburg’s evolving landscape.
The Abraham Smith Jr. House was finished in 1871, making it one of the oldest houses in the Quality Hill Historic District. Abraham Smith Jr. was a successful businessman in the Clarksburg area. He was a backer for the Clarksburg-Fairmont rail line and owned several coal mines. Smith purchased land for his house from George Bastable, who owned several lots in the area. The two and a half story brick building is executed in a nineteenth century vernacular style with Italianate elements. An elevated coursed ashlar foundation supports the grey painted brick structure. The steeply pitched roof is supported by a dentilled cornice. Palladian style windows allow light entry from every direction. A one-story three-bay porch defines the facade of the home. In addition to Smith, the house was also owned by Louis A. Johnson, President Roosevelt’s assistant secretary of defense and President Truman’s secretary of defense, and Catherine Osborn Goff, relative to many of Clarksburg’s most influential figures. In large part due to the vernacular style of the Abraham Smith Jr. House, it has aged quite well. The home is in good condition and the architectural choices remain in modern aesthetic favor.1
More info on this page. https://theclio.com/entry/129794
- Historical information shared from Abraham Smith Jr. House – Clio ↩︎
