This house, on a part of original town lot #4, was built about 1850.

It was the home of Bushrod Crawford, who also operated a store in the western wing of the building with his brother Absalom. Bushrod Crawford ran against John Hughes in February of 1861 as Delegate to the State Convention to be held in Richmond, Va. Bushrod favored secession; Hughes did not. Hughes was elected, but changed his mind at the convention to vote for secession. Bushrod and his brother, Absalom, and their families fled south, as many others did, in July of 1861, leaving the store vacant for the Federals to occupy.

In July of 1861, General McClellan made his headquarters here while in Beverly and moved the telegraph office to this building from the home of Bushrod’s brother, Adam Crawford. Federal troops remained in Beverly throughout the war, and continued to use this building for a headquarters.

The building is a 6 bay two-story with a front facing “L” which was the store wing. A two-story four-bay porch with square posts on both floors and lattice balustrade on the second floor crosses the front up to the “L”. One large interior brick chimney, and a smaller chimney in the “L”. The traditional entrance door is divided wood with flat-headed transome and divided sidelights. The building once had 9/6 windows, and an entrance door for the store onto the sidewalk where the west front window is now placed. A later one-story shed roof addition is on the back.

The building has been rehabilitated and restored, and is now closer to its original appearance. Substantial stabilization and facade work such as siding, gutterning, and window repairs and structural repair and restoration of the porch, were funded in part by a Development Grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

The Bushrod Crawford Building, “McClellan’s Headquarters”, is now part of the Beverly Heritage Center .