Gibson-Todd House

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National Historic Landmark -- -- Jefferson County

This striking residence in the Norman and Romanesque revival styles features a large conical tower and was built in 1891 by architect Thomas A. Mullet on the site of the hanging of abolitionist John Brown. Its first owner, John Thomas Gibson, was the commander of the Virginia Militia in Jefferson County at the time of John Brown's Raid at nearby Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Gibson served as a Confederate officer and became the Mayor of Charles Town after the Civil War. Gibson used stones from the demolished Jefferson County jail to build a monument to the  hanging on the property. Granddaughter Frances Packette, who married Augustine J. Todd, inherited the home and donated it to the National Trust for Historic Preservation to ensure its care.

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