McGrew Family Photo Gallery

Our McGrew Family Album

The grave site of our McGrew ancestors, James McGrew (1779-1873) and Isabella Clark McGrew.

This picture is described as, "Sarah Martha McGrew Heermans standing beside (on left) her grandfather Colonel James McGrew and her grandmother Isabella Clark McGrew's grave about 1926. Mrs. Sowers (on right) holding War of 1812 grave marker."

The James and Isabella Clark McGrew house located near Brandonville. It was pictured and described in the W.V. school history books, as the largest log home in the area.  It had two large stone chimneys, with five fireplaces and a memorable spiral staircase. It no longer stands. The grave sites (left) are located on this land that was the old farm McGrew farm.

James McGrew Trowbridge, my great-great grandfather, son of Samuel Grady Trowbridge (1801-1872) and Jane McGrew (1805-1883). Jane was the daughter of Colonel James McGrew (1779-1873) of Brandonville, Preston County, (West) Virginia and Isabella Clark (1779-1867). Col. McGrew was the son of Patrick McGrew, who was born and reared in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Patrick and James came to what is now West Virginia about 1786.  James McGrew Trowbridge was named for his grandfather, Col. James McGrew.

My great great grandfather's uncle (brother of his mother Jane Mcgrew Trowbridge) was James Clark McGrew of Kingwood, Preston Co., W.Va. Mr. McGrew served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, was mayor of Kingwood, one of the representatives in Richmond from the western counties of Virginia that voted against sucession in 1861. As a result he and his fellow delegates from the western counties were targets of death threats and had to return home by secret routes to avoid assination teams of radical southerners. He was also one of the delegates that help form the State of West Virginia when the Civil War began.

This portrait is from the West Virginia State Archives. It portrays James Clark McGrew as he looked in the 1860's, at the time that West Virginia became a state.

The bank designed by James McGrew. It replaced the building where he started as a teller and later became the director. The James Clark McGrew house "The Pines" in the background on the right.  The bank is at the corner of E. Main Street and Price Street

Center of town in Kingwood looking from the bank on the corner of N. Price St and E. Main St. looking south towards High St. The Civil War memorial and cannon are on the Court House lawn on the south side of Main Street (visible on the right side of the photo).

This is "The Pines" on East Main Street in Kingwood.  Also known as the James C. McGrew House, it was built by James Clark McGrew in about 1841. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Placard driveway entrance McGrew house "The home of James Clark and Persis Hagans McGrew was built in 1841, with additions in 1869. The building reflects the Federal and Italianate architectual styles and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

"James McGrew was instrumental in the formation of the state of West Virginia and served in the first West Virginia Legislature from 1863-1865.  He later served two terms in Congress and was the first mayor of Kingwood. The Preston County Commission purchased the house in 1983, and it is being renovated and protected by the Society for the Preservation of McGrew House."

Daughter Tonya and granddaughter Jolie at the McGrew House in April 2009.  The house is only a few hundred feet from the center of town, the bank on the corner of Price and Main where Mr. McGrew started his career as a teller, and the courthouse where he served as the first mayor of Kingwood.

My daughter Tonya and granddaughter Jolie standing in front of the west side of The Pines.  At the time of our visit (2008 and 2009) the house was not yet open for visitors.

The back porch on the west side of the house.

The west side veranda towards the back (north) side of the house.

The front porch looking east down Main Street in Kingwood.

Ronald N. Wall

Modified: 12 July 2020