Charles Washington


Charles Washington was an American planter and politician who founded a town in the Shenandoah Valley that was named Charles Town in his honor shortly after his death and that of his eldest brother, George Washington.

Early and family life

Charles was born near Hunting Creek in Stafford County, Virginia to Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington, an orphan and heiress of Col. Joseph Ball of Lancaster County, Virginia. His father died when he was five years old. His eldest half-brother Lawrence Washington returned from England, took charge of most of his father's property as well as his underage half-siblings, and also became the colony's Adjutant-General and one of Fairfax County's representatives in the House of Burgesses.
In 1757, having reached legal age, Charles married Mildred Thornton, daughter of Colonel Francis Thornton and Frances Gregory. They had four children:
When Charles Washington reached legal age, he inherited 750 acres of land in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, per his late father's will. In 1761 he purchased two lots in the town of Fredericksburg, the Spotsylvania County seat, and built a house, which exists today but is known as the historic "Rising Sun Tavern." In 1773 he bought an additional 200 acres in Spotsylvania County. Though his parents' youngest son, Charles also inherited considerable property in what was then vast Frederick County, Virginia, because his eldest half-brother, Lawrence Washington, died without any surviving children. Charles operated such of his property already developed into farms using enslaved labor, and would in 1780 move to the Shenandoah Valley and develop much of that property to farms also using enslaved labor.
Initially, Charles Washington lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He became a vestryman of the local Episcopal Church He arrived in present Jefferson County, West Virginia, between April and October 1780 and founded Charles Town. There he erected a house, Happy Retreat, the same year. In 1786, on of his adjoining land, Charles laid out the streets of Charles Town, naming many of them after his brothers and one after his wife, Mildred. He donated the four corner lots at the intersection of George and Washington Streets for public buildings of the town and county, provided the town become the seat of the county upon its separation from Berkeley County. Jefferson County was formed in 1801 as Charles anticipated. The county court house stands on one of these lots.

Death and legacy

Charles died sometime between July and September 1799, a span of between 3-5 months before the death of his brother George, who died on December 14th of that same year. Although his son George Augustine Washington had predeceased his father, his other son Samuel Washington was one of the named executors of the President. He also was survived by his widow and their daughters Frances Washington Ball and Mildred Hammond. The grave sites of Charles and Mildred are near Evitts Run and have recently been located and surrounded by a stone wall.

Ancestry