When generals Ulysses S. Grant and Philip Sheridan met at what is now the Carriage Inn to map out the Union Army’s Shenandoah Valley campaign, there was a picket fence around the house and a Greek Revival portico. Otherwise, things haven’t changed much at the old Rutherford place in Charles Town—anyway, guests don’t mind the addition of a broad front porch and modern plumbing. The owners of this shady gray Colonial-style house are Al and Kay Standish. Al is pleased to share the house’s history and suggest sightseeing activities, especially the Jefferson County Courthouse just down the street. Here’s where John Brown, arrested by Col. Robert E. Lee’s troops, was convicted for murder, treason, and inciting slaves to rebel against the federal arsenal in nearby Harpers Ferry. Besides hearty morning meals, the Carriage Inn offers bigbedrooms (four with fireplaces), two sitting rooms, polished floors, solid brick walls, and a bookful of Civil War stories to tell—like the one about Stonewall Jackson’s flag, which was buried under a fireplace hearth when the Federals came.
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