A Timeline of the Museum Building at 128 Hawthorn Street, Colonial Beach

Overview

Excerpt from NRHP Nomination (Colonial Beach Commercial Historic District)

*“Vernacular construction from the period is represented by the two-story building at 128 Hawthorn Street (199-5037-0001), now the Colonial Beach Museum. The building was constructed in the late 1890s by William Billingsley for the Rollins family in the form of a seaside cottage, according to a 1998 survey of the property, with a front porch on the north and a second-story deck above. German lap, wood siding covered the exterior walls.

In 1898, the house was converted to use as the town's first private school and has since been home to, among other tenants, a newspaper, a clothing store, an electric company, and, for many years, the Hoffman and Cooper Gas Company. Commercial use resulted in the removal of the porch and deck and the insertion of a large storefront window on the ground floor. Rehabilitation of the building in 2011 for the museum returned the porch, deck, and residential-type windows on the north. The building retains its two-over-two windows on the second floor of the façade and on the other elevations. It has a standing-seam metal roof and restored siding.” dhr.virginia.gov

Timeline

Prior to 1885 - James Albert Clark and Mary Clark owned the indenture. This was land only, no building was on the property. James was a newspaper man and he apparently named a number of the original streets in town.

At this time Henry J. Kintz was creating the town, selling lots for $50 and sold 500 by 1885. James Clark was Henry's assistant.

1885 - Westel Willoughby paid $100 for a large indenture and the property included the plot where the museum is located. But five years later could not pay the taxes on his lots.

1890 - William P. Billingsley paid 44 cents for lots 4, 5, 1, at a tax sale. This included the museum plot.

1892 - William Billingsley built this intentionally commercial building on the current plot - for commercial rental.

He was age 29, newly married to Nanny M. Rogers

1898 - William P. Billingsley was elected to the first elected town council.

1898 - The lower portion of the building was probably used as a private school - class taught by Eleanor Agnes DeAtley.

1900 - William Billingsley became Sergeant/Treasurer, paid $25 per month. He was also a grocer but probably not in this building.

1905 - Colonial Beach Progress newspaper operated in this building. May have been in this location since 1900.

1909 - Dr. Stuart A. Ashton, town physician, had an office upstairs. Unfortunately he died a few years of infantile paralysis.

1910 - Willsiam Billingsley was now a town police officer. He is still also listed as "town merchant" and still owned the building.

1916 - William Billingsley and son were bankrupt in regard to their grocery business. Their creditors wanted to be paid and had a lien on the grocery property but the original records had been lost. Billingsley retained the ownership of all his properties due to faulty record keeping. Unclear if creditors are ever paid.

1918 - The current museum housed a men's store called Sak's. A man's suit cost about $20. Upstairs was converted to an apartment rental.

1920 - Museum building was remodeled. The porch was removed to

make a more modern appearance. Billingsley appeared to still be the owner.

1924 - Colonial Beach Pharmacy was located on first floor. Dr. Stuart was located upstairs.

1925- 30 - William Billingsley and Nanny obtain a divorce. William ha deserted, address unknown. Ownership of the building probably stayed with W.P.

1928 - East Coast Utilities Company moved into building and remained until 1940.

(at some point the lower part of the building had also been a barber shop owned by Mr. Jones. Date unknown)

1930 - William P. Billingsley was back residing in town.

1931 - Building was sold at public auction. Fauntleroy Jackson (Roy) Rollins obtained the property. A lunchroom was in the building (date uncertain). Roy Rollins was listed as a "plasterer" so probably was not operating the lunchroom. The Rollings owned the Buckingham Hotel and a "soda fountain luncheonette: on the boardwalk also.

1941 - Abraham Cooper, and immigrant and new resident in town, purchased some property which had belonged to Roy Rollins ( now deceased) for $3025.00. The museum property was included in this package.

1941 - 44 - Virginia East Coast Utilities was located in the building. Long-distance calls were made here. One of the two town phones was here. There were 52 trunk lines with party lines throughout the town. The East Coast Telephone became Tidewater, then Continental, and eventually GTE.

1944 - Abe Cooper Died and left the building to Eugenia Cooper Hoffman. During WWll the telegraph office here delivered telegrams informing residents of the fate of their loved ones.

194? - The building became a grocery store owned by a man named McNeil.

Late 40s - The building housed a bakery remembered by locals - perhaps called Birmingham's Bakery.

1950s - Building became the Hoffman-Cooper Gas Company. Gas appliances were sold in front, people paid gas bills in the rear of the building. Peter Hoffman was Justice of the Peace. Several couples were actually married in the building.

Upstairs was an office for Dr. Demming, a well liked physician and his nurse Ellen Huff.

1988-1995 - The building housed an antique and collectible shop called Reflections run by Florence Tally. The upstairs was rented as an apartment and town resident Bill Thompson lived there with his mother.

19913 - Eugenia C. Cooper Hoffman conveyed the property to the town. The building began to deteriorate.

1997 - The Town of Colonial Beach scheduled the building for demolition.

1998 - Town residents struggled to preserve the building. The Colonial Beach Historical Society launched a fund-raising campaign to restore the property.

1998 to present - The Town of Colonial Beach leases the building to the Historical Society. The society members are responsible for the upkeep of the building.