One of the most prominent taverns in Mecklenburg was that operated by Cornelius Wynkoop, who according to the land records of Frederick and Berkeley counties, evidently began his career in this section as a keeper of the tavern about the year 1781. The location of this building was on the southern side of German street and comprised the western half of Lot No. 27, the present home of Mrs. George W. Billmyer to whom the property has come down through six generations.
    How many years previous to the above date it was operated as a tavern is unknown, although the records would strongly indicate that it had been a tavern since 1769 when it was acquired by Martin Antler, who in turn was succeeded by Peter Woltz in 1775, and by Woltz sold to Wynkoop in 1781. Wynkoop, however, built the present imposing brick house, having added in 1792 the eastern one-third of the adjoining lot No. 26 to his previous holding. The latter deed gives an insight into the construction of the present building as

it refers to "the house lately built by the said Wynkoop on said premises" which is a reference to that part of Lot 26 bought at this time from Philip Fisher. This deed, therefore, establishes the actual year of the construction of the present house, and which fits in exactly with the period of brick construction in Shepherdstown, which, as heretofore mentioned in this article, began about the year 1790. The brick evidently came from Welch's brick-yard, which from the Board of Trustee records (1794) occupied a site adjoining Princess street at the extreme southern limits of the town.
    The deeds in question for Lot No. 27, however, indicate that the original tavern, if any, was in a small log house on the site and which, of course, was razed when the brick building took its place, and the latter building enlarged and occupied a portion of Lot No. 27, bought by Wynkoop in 1781 and also a portion of his latest purchase, a part of Lot No. 26 in 1792.
    Wynkoop's Inn, however, was unquestionably a popular resort and many prominent personages evidently visited it in those days. From the Fitch Manuscripts, "Steamboat History," pp. 91-92, it is learned that Rumsey's most early contemporary visited Wynkoop's Inn in April, 1789, when he was accused by Rumsey's friends as spying on Rumsey's boat that was given a successful demonstration on the Potomac at Shepherdstown on December 11, 1787. Some writers have given expression to Fitch's visit here as having taken place in the present building, but from the deeds this would appear to be an error--it evidently was the original log house--as Wynkoop did not buy the Philip Fisher land until 1792-three years after this famous incident in which the first practical application of steam to water navigation is such an issue and which has been spoken of by many historians of this much mooted subject.
    Land records are the only means of identifying this famous resort, as well as many other important incidents, other than by private papers that have come down through the ages from one generation to the other. Wynkoop's Inn, however, is not mentioned in the early town records as is that of Mrs. Thornborough's tavern, Mrs. Julianna Eckerts' tavern, and Thomas James' tavern. These, however, are mentioned in connection with town elections having been held each first Monday in April, and places where the Board of Trustees held their various meetings from time to time, some being held at one tavern while others were conducted at one or the other of the other taverns.
    The writer has taken the time to delve into the land records concerning this place on account of its importance of that period. The present house and lot being situated on a part of two separate lots of land, we will follow the transfer of each until it becomes a common or dual holding in 1800 when sold by Wynkoop to Rawleigh Morgan, and who afterward sold the place in 1810 to Walter B. Selby.

    Lot No. 27 was sold by Thomas Shepherd, the town's founder, on July 21, 1764, to Peter Bedinger with the stipulation that he should erect within one year a dwelling 20x16; Peter Dedinger on October 2, 1769, sold the western half (56 feet 6 inches) to Martin Antler, together with all houses and buildings (the above records will be found in Frederick county); on March 19, 1775. Martin Antler transfered the place to Peter Woltz for

eight pounds current money; on March 20, 1781, Woltz sells the place to Cornelius Wynkoop at 11 hundred pound-dollars a sum estimated at 7 shilling and 6 pences with the stipulation that he shall maintain a dwelling thereon 16x20 feet, with a brick or stone chimney. This establishes the appoximate size and kind of dwelling until the Philip Fisher transfer of the adjoining loot in 1792, when Wynkoop erected the brick building thereon.

    July 21, 1764, Thomas Shepherd sold to Michael Bruner Lot No. 26; on May 7, 1771, Bruner sold the place to Michael Allix; on April 21, 1773, Allix resold the place to George Bishop; on September 14, 1789, Bishop sold to Philip Fisher; on February 20, 1792, Fisher conveyed the eastern one-third part (34 feet and 4 inches) of the above lot to Cornelius Wynkoop, and with this transfer the western half of lot No. 27 and the eastern one-third part of lot No. 26 becomes a common property under the title of each to Wynkoop. The latter deed which calls for 25 pounds of Pennsylvania currency as the purchase price, contains important information and for that reason we quote as follows: "one-third part of that lot of land in the town of Mecklenburgh, in the county of Berkeley, and Commonwealth of Virginia, viz: the said third part of said lot is bounded as follows as appears from the plat of said town, Beginnning at a corner of Lot No. 27 in German street and running with the said street 34 feet four inches to an upper corner of Lot No. 26 of which it is a part thence 206 feet to Back Alley, thence along Back Alley 34 feet 4 inches to a corner of Lot No. 27, thence 206 feet, to the beginning, containing one-sixth part of an acre, but it is expressly provided that five feet in front and 206 feet back on said premises shall forever remain for the purpose of an alley or lane joining the house lately built by the said Wynkoop on said premises, which said one-sixth part of an acre is part of a greater tract of land of 222 acres granted unto Thomas Shepherd, deceased, by patent bearing date the 3rd day of October, 1734, and by said Thomas Shepherd conveyed to Michael Bruner by deed bearing date the 21st day of July, 1764, which lot was conveyed to Michael Allix by deed bearing date the 7th day of May, 1771, as more fully appears from the records of Frederick county, and said lot of land was conveyed by said Michael Allix to George Bishop by deed bearing date April 21, 1773, and by said George Bishop said lot was conveyed to the said Philip Fisher by deed bearing date the 14th day of September, 1789, as the records of Berkeley county more fully doth appear." This deed was signed by Philip Fisher and Sarah, his wife, and witnessed by Henry Lien, Philip Entler and William Duncan.
    Wynkoop sold the common property on February 27, 1800, for $3,000 to Rawleigh Morgan. This transfer shows the enhanced value of the property urder Wynkoop's ownership, the deed of which follows:
    "THIS INDENTURE, made this day of 27th of February in the year 1800, between Cornelius Wynkoop and Hannah, his wife, to Rawleigh Morgan......a certain lot or parcel of land situated in German street in Shepherdstown on which the brick house stands generally occupied as a tavern, which said lot or parcel of land is bounded as follows: Beginning on German street in the middle of Lot

No. 27 and running thence with German street 85 feet 10 inches to another corner in Lot No. 26, thence at right angles with said German street 206 feet to a back alley, thence with said alley; 85 feet 10, inches to the middle of Lot No. 27, thence at right angles with the last line 206 feet to the beginning, which said lot or parcel of land hereby intended to be conveyed is composed of-one-half of Lot No. 27 purchased by said Cornelius Wynkoop from Peter Weltz and Mary Elizabeth, his wife, by deed bearing date the 20th day of March, 1781, and of one-third part of Lot No, 26, purchased by said Cornelius Wynkoop from Philip Fisher and Sarah, his wife, by deed bearing date the 20th day of February 1792, both which deeds are duly admitted of record in the county court of Berkeley, reference being thereto had will more fully appear."
    On September 20, 1810, Rawleigh Morgan and Elizabeth, his wife, dispose of the property to his son-in-law, Walter B. Selby, the second of six generations in which the title has been reposed; until now it is in the possession of Mrs. George W. Billmyer, having come down to her through the Morgan, Selby and Hamtramck side of the family.
    The indenture of Wynkoop to Morgan was witnessed by George Cunningham, Lebullin Warner and Andrew Waggoner, Jr., while the Morgan to Selby transfer was witnessed by John Baker, former representative to Congress from this section, Henry Cronise, Robert Rupell, Lloyd Beall and William S. Good.
    Unquestionably the place is filled with much tradition of interest, not alone from those who were entertained within its halls in its early history, but also of those into whose ownership it fell in the following years.

Source:

Musser, Clifford S., Two Hundred Years' History of Shepherdstown, Historic Shepherdstown Commission, Shepherdstown, W. Va., Printed by "The Independent", 1931, pp. 48, photo facing p. 164, 165-168.

    Drinking may not have been the only thing going on at Cornelius Wynkoop's Tavern:

TWO HUNDRED YEARS' HISTORY OF SHEPHERSTOWN

    Miss Ella May Turner, who has just finished making an exhaustive and thorough search of records for her book, "James Rumsey, Pioneer of Steam Navigation", advises that she found reference in a letter of Rumsey in the year 1791 to the Play House in Shepherds Town. She also has a copy of "The Potowmack Guardian," issue July 11, 1791, to which is an advertisement as follows: "Theatre, Shepherds Town. Mr. M'Grath's Company of Comedians will perform here three nights and on Tuesday evening, 12th July, will open the Theatre with the celebrated American Comedy, of The Contrast. Tickets at three-quarters of a dollar, each, to be had at Mr. Wynkoop's tavern." The advertisement also says that no tickets will be sold at the door, and that no person will be permitted behind the scenes. The newspaper here quoted was edited by N. Willis, and the office located on Princess street. Subscription price was $2.00 a year.

    The above indicates that Shepherds Town had a theatre at this date. Where it was located is unknown. From various Court of Trustees records hereafter quoted it would appear that such public exhibitions were held in the taverns. In the light of the above information, however whether this play was held in a building set apart for such purposes, or whether given in Wynkoop's tavern is unknown.

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    I would especially like to thank Elizabeth Fraser, [email protected] of the Kanawha County Public Library in Charleston, West Virginia for her very generous help. She made it possible for me to finally capture the rest of the article that Deb sent me way back in 1998 or so. She also tracked down a picture of Wynkoop's Tavern from the book which wasn't listed in the Index. Now that's above and beyond the call of duty. Elizabeth, thank you so very much!

    Last, but not least, I'd like to thank my brother, Geoff, once again, for his help in turning a Xerox copy of a photograph into the pretty good jpeg that now accompanies this article. This is no small feat in itself, and takes more time, patience and skill than I have. Geoff, many, many thanks.

    All my best,

    Chris