14. Hunter Funeral Home - Berkeley Springs Historical Walk

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Hunter Funeral Home on Mercer St. is one of the few remaining 19th century cottages. It was originally called Woodbine when built in 1867 by John De Freese — appointed Government Printer by Abraham Lincoln. In 1913, Vice President Thomas Marshall visited the De Freese family. Initially this was a bracketed symmetrical cottage with vertical board and batten siding. Unusual corbels are found in the gables — an Italianate design feature. The carriage house was built at the same time. It was purchased by the Hunter family in 1936 and renovated as a funeral home. These two lots were among those reserved by Fairfax for himself when the town was formed; he had a cottage here that blocked Mercer St. By 1830, the lots were owned by George Washington’s cousin Warner Washington. Legend has it that the area was a red light district in the 18th century and location of a pre-Civil War house of ill repute.

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The contemporary home on the south side was built in 1963 after razing the large frame dwelling built by Dr. Boyd Pendleton in 1884 and operated for the first half of the 20th century as Casler’s Inn. The original lot owner was George Washington’s brother Samuel, one of the Bath Trustees responsible for laying out the town.

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