Bunker Hill Historic District

Dunker Hill is significant for its Civil War history, log buildings, and black row. It is a rural village that just never developed though several attempts were made. It is located on U.S. Route ll, the early old wagon road to Winchester, Va. At the crossroads of the old South Branch Road which ran from the Frederick County line to Smithfield (Middleway in Jefferson Co.). A further seemly advantage for development was the fact that it was located on Mill Creek amidst Berkeley County's most heavily populated mill area. Within a mile, for many years, were six mills. Most of the land here belonged to Gen. Elisha Boyd. For some 20 years (1820 to 1841) here General Boyd had his own industrial village-two mills, a brick plant, copper shop and in the 1830s he built a large brick building that was used as a store. This architecturally outstanding building is the only one of his buildings that remains today. The east end of the district was developed by Joel ward who owned the next mill east of Gen. Boyd's mills. In 1831 Joel Ward sold 1/2 acre to William Cleveland and Jacob Myers for $10.00. Here the first store in the town was built. It was purchased in 1846 by Charles S. North who taught music. The building became known as the North Music School 10 Joel Ward built a log cabin and house. After his death in the 1850s this, along with other lots, were sold, Gen. Boyd deeded a lot to the Methodists along Runnymeade Road to erect a meeting house in 1839. After his death in 1842 the Edgewood house and mill lot Went to his son, John Boyd, who made an attempt to develop a town. He sold off a few lots. Two outstanding buildings-the Jessie Brillhart store and log house were erected. In 1854 he sold a lot to the Presbyterians to erect a church and a lot for a school which is no longer standing. After the Civil War John Boyd lost the Edgewood Manor plantation. On April 1. 1880. Charles J. Faulkner sold 78 acres to Christian F. Laise. This was the part of the Edgewood land which lay on the east side of Route 11.

Laise divided part of this land into lots. Laise had given a Deed of Trust on the land to Faulkner; by 1889 both were dead. A suit was brought in Chancery and most of the lots were resold to pay the debt. The 9 most eastern lots had been sold off to the black people. On the two most southern lots there had been established a cemetery and church even this was resold at a cost of $125.00 to the black Mt. Tabor Congregation Trustees. They had originally purchased the lots for $125.00 from Christian Laise in 1883. This Black Street or Row is the best representation of the freed colored people in Berkeley County. This street was developed by the freed black man. A log house was built on each lot. Only one of these remains today. The row is still owned by black people and the church is an active church. Bunker Hill basically served a rural community-the area in the southeastern end of Berkeley Co, with 3 stores (the Brillhart store in operation) and 4 churches - Methodist, Presbyterian, and Episcopal (the Morgan Chapel is near the western edge of the town) and the black church. It had a white school and a black school which has been turned into a house and is near the northeastern district line. One of the most important historical facts about the village is the part it played in the Civil War. Two of its most historic buildings are the old Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church was almost destroyed during the War with virtually just a shell of a building left. The Old Methodist Church building had many uses during the war. A copy of the letter sent to the U. S. Government in 1869 asking for money to repair the Church shows a verification of the great involvement of the Methodist Church building and Bunker Hill in the Civil War.