River House Lodge, Rowlesburg, WV

Below is a photo tour through the rooms at the River House. Each room is decorated with period furnishings--complete brass beds and old fashion commodes. The latter we look at today as antiques and marvel at how far indoor niceties have come. Each room is numbered and also has a local name for flavor. We have chosen railroad names in keeping with the history of the house and the town in which it is located.

Rooms #2 Amblersburg Suite, #3 Salt Lick Arch, #4 M&K Junction and #5 Trey Run Bridge

This suite includes a second adjoining room and is very convenient for families. Each room has a double bed.

Room #2: Amblersburg

Part of a two-bedroom suite, this room has the brass bed as shown in photos below. This bed came from the home of James and Sandra Weaver of Clarksburg, persons of refinement. Notice the fan. Each of the bedrooms has a fan and ceiling light. This is for the comfort of our guests during summer evenings. In Rowlesburg, air conditioning is rarely needed in the old Victoria homes because of their design--high ceilings and plenty of ventillation. However, each room is air conditioned for those unusually hot days of summer.



Room #3: Salt Lick Arch

The Salt Lick Arch is an often photographed feature along the old B&O Railroad. Is it constructed of local Bluestone. This landmark on the railroad is near Amblersburg so the two adjoining rooms fit nicely together. The bed shown below is an Amish-style high back. This, like most, is constructed of Oak. The high back beds were often seen in Amish homes and once adorned bedrooms from the mid-Atlantic to New England. 

The next photo of the Salt Lick Arch Room is a Victorian Rose adorned mirror and marble top commode. These items came from New England but were commonly found in bedrooms all over America at the turn of the century. The lady's straw sun bonnet would have been a commonly found item as well.

Room #4 M&K Junction

This large suite with wonderful light and plenty of room to stretch out is named for one of the most famous places on the old Baltimore and Ohio--the M&K Junction. This was the heart of the interlocking system that once controlled mountain railroading on the Cumberland Sub Division. Often photographed and written about by Charles Roberts, the M&K dominated railroading in this region for 150 years. Now crews are dispatched from Jacksonville and all of the interlocking is handled there as well. 

Room #5 Trey Run Bridge and Blaser Suite

Two-room suite with queen beds. This suite is named for the famous bridge and ravine in Cheat Valley and a former water stop on the West End. This geographic feature presented the B&O with a serious impediment to completing the new railline to Grafton and on to Parkersburg. The problem was solved by a young mathematician, Alber Fink, who designed an elegant solution. His bridge design is today on the World Heritage List of 100 bridges. Made of iron and a stonework, the bridge carried traffic during the Civil War and was a vital part of Lincoln's lifeline.