The Buffington House

History of the Buffington House

The historic Martin home near Proctorville, Ohio, above, built-in 1833 by a member of the Buffington family who came to this section of the country with his brothers, owned by only two families in the past 119 years and lived in by the third owner, Horace Martin for 76 years, has been sold.

There are many interesting stories about this old house and the people who lived there, some true, some almost fantastic, but all interesting. Many old landmarks which have stood for the past 119 years are still in evidence. Slaves owned by the Buffington family cared for the place in the early days. Mr. Martin was one of 13 children.

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Written by Catherine Bliss Enslow

The Huntington [WV] Advertiser – Thursday 28 Aug. 1952, page 13

The historic 119-year-old home of Horace Martin is situated on a hillside of a 68-acre farm near Proctorville, Ohio, with a commanding view of the Ohio River and the eastern section of Huntington, [WV], which the Martin family has owned for 76 years, has been sold to W.E. Hatten of Huntington, [WV].

There are other great-grandchildren of James Buffington now living-Miss, Emma B. Wells and Victor Wells of Roscommon, Mich., and Roy Wells of Parkersburg, WV.

According to information handed down from one descendant to another, the farm was bought by James Buffington in 1815, and a log house was built first, then the barn, and finally the present brick home, which was handmade brick. In earlier years, it is said, the farm was known as “Dripping Springs Farm” because there are two springs on the farm that have never been known to run dry, even to this day.

During those years when the Buffington’s were settling in the valleys on both sides of the Ohio [River], Huntington, [WV] was just a boat landing with farms scattered far and wide, and Guyandotte, [WV] was a thriving river town. There was a road from the mouth of the Guyandotte River to the west, along the riverbank to the Big Sandy [River], and the early farmhouses were built near this road.

There was a ferry across the Guyandotte River and the Ohio [River], owned by Thomas Buffington and his son William. William built the brick house, Cedar Grove, next to his father’s residence, which overlooked the Ohio [River] just below the mouth of the Guyandotte River in the area now known as Staunton Road. William Buffington built the home Forest Hill, now a part of the C&O Hospital.

If I kept trying to figure out the Buffington and relationships on this side of Ohio, I would be involved in a task too complicated to attempt at this sitting. But I am interested in James Buffington and the house he built near Proctorville, [Ohio] because of the many interesting stories concerning the old place.

For years and years, folks who said they knew what they were talking about have said that a large amount of gold – probably a pot of gold – was buried under the roots of a cedar tree on the property. Then, too, I heard it was buried in the cellar.

Their house is very interesting with its center hall and large rooms on either side. Mr. Martin, who is 80 years old, went there to live when he was four years old when his father, W. P. Martin, purchased the home at a sheriff’s sale. He isn’t too happy about leaving the old place, having lived there so long. Still, he has purchased a small home in Proctorville, [Ohio] on High Street, where he will probably move in September when his daughter Ruth returns to gather much of the antique furniture to take to Dayton, Ohio, where she has been living for several years.

At this point, I must deviate from the story of the house because there’s an announcement of importance! When I was delving into the history of the Martin home, I discovered that Ruth, the widow of the late Homer Holt, was married to Jack Williams of Dayton, Ohio July 1. I understand he is associated with her in show business.

Ruth has had the famous Locke shoes and her own, known as the Ruth Holt shoes. She has made a big success of her shoe business. Shortly after she and her husband were in Proctorville in July for a visit with her father, she broke her heel and has been in a Cleveland hospital. She and her husband have a home somewhere near Cleveland, Ohio. I believe that they were doing some interior decorating when the accident occurred.

Yesterday I visited the old Martin home for the first time in many years and Mr. Hatten the new owner and his son-in-law Otis Zimmerman told me many interesting things about the place.

In the cellar there are three large rooms with brick flooring and, in one room, a large fireplace. I noticed that the beams overhead was 3 x 12 and of solid poplar and I was told the brick walls were 18 inches thick. I was looking for a certain offset or alcove under the stairway where I was told a sword of Civil War days once hung. The sword wasn’t there, of course, but I found one beside a muzzle loading rifle sitting in a corner in the hall upstairs.

I carefully examined the offset under what was once a stairway from the dinning room above. Pasted two steps was a newspaper, “The Cincinnati Commercial Gazette,” dated 1886. I could distinguish some ads for carpets, dress goods, and the George Ott & Co. Auction sale announcement.

Miss Wells of Parkersburg, [WV] told me that her mother, the late Mrs. W. O. B. Wells, formerly Lena Buffington, had often visited her grandmother and grandfather there and had seen the sword. I was interested to learn that Mrs. Wells was a member of the first graduating class at Marshall College. [now Marshall University]

The Buffington family had many slaves when they lived in this house and I was told the slaves lived in the basement. One slave girl who was a maid to one of Mr. and Mrs. Buffington’s daughters had died while living there and was buried on the place. The slave girls were called “bound girls” in those days, and sometimes they were willed right along with the homes of their masters to family members.

The Hatten’s do not plan to move into the home until next spring, but in the meantime, they are cleaning it up, making a few changes and additions, improving the property and getting it ship-shape. Mr. Hatten has purchased farm machinery to help him do the work.

In the future, Mr. and Mrs. Hatten’s daughter, son-in-law, and family expect to build a home on this farm. Mr. Hatten is a salesman with the S. S. Logan & Son Co., of Huntington [WV]. He has always wanted a farm, his son-in-law said, and now that he has such an interesting one, he is like a kid in a candy store. He has done much work to improve it and has many plans.

There’s a honey of a story I discovered while digging up the history of the Buffington family in connection with the Martin home and farm. It concerns the will of Richard Buffington, Sr.

Mr. Buffington was born in 1653 in England and came to Pennsylvania at the Forks of the Brandywine called Buffington Ford. The exact date is not known, but he paid taxes in 1676. The Battle of Brandywine was fought on his farm of 200 acres and he was paid 100 pounds. He died at the age of 94 in 1747. It is said that he held office under William Penn, and he was married three times and was the father of 13 children.

In his will he bequeathed to “Alice, my dearly beloved wife, one room at the North east corner of the house with the cellar under it and five pound a year and firewood sufficient for one fire, brought convenience, and one milch [sic] cow reasonable kept, without any cost to her: one feather bed, the one I now lieth on, with suitable furniture as now is: one case of drawers that stands in said room, and one walnut chest that stands in the house and 40 shillings to buy other furniture with during her widowhood. Only the feather bed and furniture, one case of drawers and chest, and 40 shillings worth of furniture, as mentioned before.”

To his daughters, Hannah Dain, Mary Turner, Elizabeth Freeman, Lida Martin and Abagail Reed, he willed one Bible worth 30 shillings to each. To his son William Buffington he willed his wearing apparel; his daughter Alice McArthur, one Bible worth 30 shillings and a horse named Roan; to a son Thomas Buffington’s deceased heirs, five shillings; to his daughter Ann Hickman’s deceased heirs, five shillings; to Richard Buffington’s deceased heirs, five shillings and the remainder of his estate to his son Joseph Buffington, his heirs, forever both real and personal whatsoever and wheresoever; “but in case said son Joseph should die without heirs lawfully begotten, my will is that it shall descend to my two daughters Alice and Abagail, equally to be divided, share and share alike. He willed a minister, Owen Thomas, five pounds and to the Anabaptist Society 20 pounds and to a Richard Kimble two pounds and 10 shillings. His son Joseph was named executor of the will.

Maybe Thomas, William and John Buffington named in the will are the same Buffington men who settled here along the [Ohio] River in Huntington [WV]. Many of his descendants believed for years that this would be referred to the Martin house, but this idea exploded as the will was made in Chester, Pa. However, the will has been a conversation piece for many years among relatives.

Ties are so strong, having lived in the same home for 76 years, Mr. Martin is finding it difficult to break away. The number of years he has lived there is certainly a record. His son, Curtis is with him. Mrs. Martin passed away two years ago.

The sale of the Martin farm was made by Larry Schavul, editor of Huntington [WV] and was of particular interest because there was such a great story in connection with it.

The old home of Horace Martin near Proctorville, Ohio famous for nearly 120 years, which was sold last week to W. E. Hatten of Huntington, WV, is shown above with the former owner surrounded by old maple and cedar trees. The steps to the porch are old stone blocks and, in the yard, just at the road entrance at this side of the house, there is an old stile block where the ladies and gentlemen of the early days mounted their horses.

The top right is shown the stone foundation of the barn, which was built before the house. In several of the blocks are the initials of members of the Buffington family who built the home and lived there and one date very much evidence is one carved in the stone 101 years ago.

Horace Martin, 80, the former owner, has lived in the home for 76 years. His photo is on the right.

Mr. Hatten, the new owner of the historical farm, is shown seated at the right in the bottom left photo, with his son-in-law Otis Zimmerman.

They are on the front steps of the old Buffington Home, where there is a fine view of the Ohio River and Huntington, [WV].

The photo below, on the right, is Catherine Bliss Enslow, who is “Miscellany Editor,” she is examining a Civil War sword and muzzle-loading rifle found at the Martin home.