The Friends of Happy Retreat was founded in 2006 to respond to concerns of residents of Charles Town, West Virginia, about Charles Washington’s home, Happy Retreat, and its vulnerability to development in the state’s rapidly growing Eastern Panhandle—just 55 miles northwest of Washington, D.C

The City of Charles Town commissioned a property appraisal in January 2006 that indicated the property could be subdivided for residential development. Meanwhile, the Friends of Happy Retreat was launched as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit dedicated to “acquiring, preserving, and utilizing the property for public benefit.”

Among the organization’s first orders of business was a survey conducted to determine the feasibility of the project. This survey found near-unanimous agreement that the Friends’ vision for Charles Washington’s Happy Retreat as a public resource for education, enjoyment, and economic development through heritage tourism are very important to the city, region, and state. With that vote of confidence, the Friends of Happy Retreat has continued its fundraising work and over the past four years has maintained on option on the property, with $35,000 total payments to date, which will be credited as earnest money in a purchase.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
FRIENDS OF HAPPY RETREAT

Executive Committee

President. J. Randolph Hilton was a labor relations specialist for the government of Montgomery County, Maryland, until his retirement. He served as mayor of the City of Charles Town and remains active in Jefferson County and Charles Town public affairs.

Vice President. Walter Washington is a direct descendant of Samuel Washington (1734-1781), brother of President George Washington and Charles Washington. He has a law degree from American University and is a practicing attorney in Charles Town. Walter is the owner of Samuel Washington's home, Harewood, built in 1770 near Charles Town.

Treasurer. Vacant

Secretary. Paulette Sprinkle is the executive director of the Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has a master’s degree in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University and 30 years experience working in tourism, historic preservation, and education. A talented graphic designer, she created the flag of Washington County, Maryland.

Board Members

Patrick Owen Blood, from Dublin, Ireland, is a high-end property market developer and manager who has consistently set sales-based honors and awards for his employers in the Washington Metro area. Over the past 10 years, Patrick has been responsible for leasing, client and supplier relationships, and management for six major firms in Ireland and the USA. He moved to America from Ireland in 2003 and then to Charles Town from Washington DC in 2006 and has worked with Greg Didden Associates in Shepherdstown since then. Before his move to the United States, he represented Ireland in American Football where he was watched by NFL Europe and also played the two Irish sports of Gaelic Football and Hurling to the highest level until injury forced him to hang up his boots.

Dwane Casteel has served as a minister in West Virginia and other states for more than 40 years. He has extensive experience in fundraising and resource development and recently accepted the position of coordinator for the Annual Caribbean Mission Forum, which provides information and resources for Churches of Christ missions in the Caribbean.

Marjorie Gaestel is retired after serving 25 years as a bookkeeper with the Point Pleasant, New Jersey, Board of Education, where she managed a $10 million budget. She is a member of the Point Pleasant Historical Society, an avid genealogist, a daughter of the Union Army, and a student of Washington family history.

William E. Jackson has practiced law for more than 40 years. Educated as an engineer and lawyer, his practice focuses on patents, antitrust, trademarks, trade secrets, unfair competition, false advertising, and First Amendment issues. Bill is a Registered U.S. Patent Attorney. His activities have included Moot Court Judge for Intellectual Property Competition, George Washington University Law School, and, in Virginia, the Piedmont Environmental Council and "The Journey Through Hallowed Ground.” He has also been active with with the Land Conservancy of Adams County, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and the preservation of his family farm located near the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield.

David Mills has served as chief executive officer of Ranson, West Virginia, one of the fastest growing cities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area since 1998. In 2003, he was named the West Virginia “City Manager of the Year.” In that time he administered a two-fold increase in service demands and increased the city’s budget by more than 300 percent by attracting some $200 million worth of development investment. Meanwhile, he has expanded opportunities for active recreation by establishing Ranson’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, annual festival, Civic Center and municipal park. Prior to earning a masters degree in public administration and management and bachelor of science in government, Mills served in the U.S. Army. Over a 10-year period, he distinguished himself in media campaign development at the J.F.K. Special Warfare Center and School; in Somalia, Japan, and Guam; in Panama, Jordan, and Afghanistan, and as Assistant Defense Attaché reporting to the United States Ambassador at the American Embassy in Mongolia.

Nelson Parkinson, a native of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle, deepened his appreciation of historic preservation through his U.S. military career and his service with the State Department. Based in Rome, he and his family traveled throughout Europe. Today, as general manager of a Charles Town hotel, he welcomes visitors from around the world and shares with them his passion for the heritage of Jefferson County and the future of Charles Washington’s Happy Retreat.

Bill Senseney was born and raised in Jefferson County. After receiving a BS in business administration from West Virginia University, Bill took over active management of the family business. In the ensuing 15 years, he raised a family, farmed, served as president of the Charles Town Retail Merchants Association, became a member of the Jefferson County Planning Commission, and began distance running. Bill served eight years as sheriff and treasurer of the county and has just been reelected to his third term as magistrate.

Rick Snowden (biography to come)

Nancy Steele is a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) at Jefferson County’s Harpers Ferry Middle School.

Robin Huyett Thomas, a resident of Charles Town with roots deep in West Virginia, is an accomplished interior designer, painter, and potter with bachelor of science degrees in fine arts and interior design from the University of South Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth University, respectively. As a commercial interior designer, she has managed projects for many government agencies, including the Department of Defense, which presented her with two awards for her work on the post-911 Pentagon reconstruction program. Active in civic affairs, she also plays polo and chairs the Friends’ major fundraiser, the Washington Family Homes Tour.