Holly Grove
Holly Grove Mansion was built in 1815 by saltmaker Daniel Ruffner as part of a large plantation that encompassed all of the present East End and much of downtown. Ruffner opened his home to travelers, and his guests included Henry Clay, Samuel Houston, John J. Audubon, and President Andrew Jackson. Originally Holly Grove was a two-story rectangular brick building with a small entry portico facing the Kanawha River. James H. Nash bought the house in 1902 and made significant changes, including the addition of the half-circle portico with great columns. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and purchased by the state in 1975. Holly Grove, which is adjacent to the Governor’s Mansion, is undergoing renovations by the West Virginia Department of Administration.
Read the National Register Nomination