Wildwood (Beckley, West Virginia)
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Wildwood | |
 Wildwood Residence at Beckley, May 2013 | |
   | |
| Location | 117 Laurel Ter., Beckley, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°46′15″N 81°11′12″W / 37.77083°N 81.18667°W |
| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1835 |
| Architect | Lilly, John |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000665 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1970 |
Wildwood, also known as the General Alfred Beckley Home, is a historic home located at Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia. The house is open as the Wildwood House Museum and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[1]
General Alfred Beckley (1802–88) wanted his home to be the center of what he envisioned for Beckley, West Virginia which he founded in 1838. Although his town was a piece of paper in 1838, it would later become the county seat of Raleigh County, West Virginia, which was also founded by Beckley in 1850.[2] His house was built in 1835–36, initially as an unpretentious double log cabin. "I took possession of a double log cabin built for me in the fall of 1835 by Mr. John Lilly Sr. of Bluestone.."[3] Originally, the residence was named Park Place. According to Alfred Beckley, "I changed the name of my residence from 'Park Place', a name given it by my kinsman, Clarkson Prince to that of 'Wildwood'".[3]
