The
Tompkins' History
The Tompkins family settled here on 17,000 acres of land in 1844. William Tompkins (the original owner) worked in the salt industry that boomed in our area in the 1800s. Being well educated in his career, William would later figure out that the natural gas wells were located closely to the salt brines and come to be the first man to use natural gas commercially. His wife, Rachel Tompkins, also had her place in history as she was the aunt of Union General and President Ulysses S. Grant. In efforts of moving away from the chaos and pollution caused by the salt mines, he decided to come here, to Cedar Grove. At that time, this entire town was the Tompkins’ plantation where they raised their animals, crops, and most importantly, their family.
Tompkins' Home - 1800s
Virginia's Chapel
Virginia’s Chapel, located just a few hundred yards from the house by the stoplight on US Route 60, was built for William’s daughter as a gift. He told Virginia she could have a trip to Europe or anything else she could want; she asked for a church. This church would later serve as an infirmary and stables for the Union troops in the Civil War.
The Tompkins' Legacy
The second generation to live in the house would be William’s son, Preston, and his wife, Addie. Prior to her marriage to Preston, Addie was married to a very abusive man who caused her to fear for her safety and the safety of her unborn child (that likely belonged to Preston). With Preston’s guidance and sanctuary, she was able to fight against her husband and had the first divorce in the state of West Virginia. Addie’s granddaughter and award-winning author, Mary Lee Settle, later wrote a memoir based on stories that she had been told from Addie throughout her childhood. Most of the memories she shared in the book took place within these walls. Settle also tells us about the changes Addie made to the property from replacing the marble in the fireplaces with brick to changing the formal gardens around to extending the porch across the front of the house.
Mary Lee Settle, 1990
The Tompkins' home today
The property was solely owned by the Tompkins’ family until the year 2000 when sisters Patty and Shirley Ellis purchased it. The sisters worked diligently to bring life back into the property and make the necessary updates to turn it into a nursing home called The Haven. They maintained the location in its various forms until March of 2021 when it fell into the hands of Cedar Grove native, Samantha Keenan, the current property owner.
