CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — Any 190-year-old building, even one that covers 16,000 square feet, needs love and attention now and then.

Claymont is no exception.

It takes a lot of money to maintain a structure of that vintage and size plus the 345 acres that surround it. 

Claymont, built in 1820 by George Washington’s grandnephew Bushrod Corbin Washington, was self-sustaining at first, thanks to the sweat and toil of nearly 100 slaves.

Since slavery’s demise, subsequent owners have had to maintain the property on their own. Since 1974, Claymont has been owned by the nonprofit Claymont Society for Continuous Education. It is a constant struggle to raise cash to pay for maintenance and repairs through grants, fundraisers and the generosity of the community, society officials said.

Claymont Society has partnered with the National Park Trust, a nonprofit group dedicated to the protection of America’s parklands.

Last week, Amy Silver, society president and seminar coordinator, and Kit McGinnis, former managing director of Claymont and now an employee of the National Park Trust, asked the Jefferson County Commission for $30,000.

McGinnis told the commissioners that Claymont received a $150,000 federal Save America’s Treasures grant through the National Park Trust in a 50/50 match. So far, the society has raised about $20,000.

The commissioners praised the society’s good work and its dedication to preserving an important Jefferson County historical landmark, but they didn’t promise anything. They said they would review the society’s request in July after the start of the new fiscal year.

An area contractor donated $15,000 worth of his time to do a condition assessment of the building to find out how much renovation is needed and where, McGinnis said. Even if the society succeeds in getting the grant and $150,000 local match, it wouldn’t pay for all the renovations needed.

McGinnis listed Claymont’s four most pressing needs, starting with the shoring of the floor of the massive ballroom. That’s needed to secure the stability of the two floors and roof above to keep them from collapsing.

Replacement of the two-story veranda in the rear of the mansion is second on the list. The final two projects involve weatherproofing the building and major electrical work.

The Claymont Society for Continuous Education was founded in 1974 when Englishman John Bennett bought the mansion and its 345 acres, Silver said. Bennett established a school in England to foster practical and personal growth. 

The society’s philosophy is promoting sustainability similar to the back-to-the-earth movement of the 1960s and ’70s, Silver said.

“The (Ronald) Reagan generation was not as interested in the movement,” Silver said.

Claymont’s mission is creating an environment for spirit, peace, hope and learning.

The facilities are used by dance groups and congregations of various faiths, and for retreats, training seminars, tai chi and yoga teaching. Among groups that return every year are nonprofits such as the Mindfulness Practice Center, Healing from the Core, Insight Meditation Community of Washington, Mankind Project and International Committee of Tibet.

Between the mansion and Great Barn, which runs for about 100 yards off a huge octagonal building, Claymont can accommodate the nearly 2,000 people who use its facilities every year. 

When Bushrod Corbin Washington built Claymont, his brother, John Augustine Washington III, built his own smaller mansion, Blakeley, across the road so they could face each other.

John was in line to inherit Mount Vernon when George Washington died, so he built his house smaller than his brother’s. Bushrod built big to mimic Mount Vernon and today, Claymont is the largest of the 12 original Washington homes in Jefferson County, eight of which are still standing, according to historical accounts.

Bushrod and John Washington married two local sisters, Silver said.