ALPHEUS W. PRITCHARD BIOGRAPHY, HARRISON CO, WV

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Submitted by Valerie Crook
             (vfcrook@earthlink.net)


"The History of West Virginia, Old and New"
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 420


ALPHEUS W. PRITCHARD was born while James Monroe was president of the 
United States, and his life was prolonged in good works until the beginning 
of the twentieth century. The West Virginia community that should hold
his memory in special honor is Clarksburg, which he saw grow from a village
to a city, and in that growth he shared as a constructive business man.

He was born at Morgantown, West Virginia, July 4, 1819, son of George and 
Elizabeth (Betts) Pritchard. His parents were reared in Maryland, and 
Edward Pritchard, founder of the American family, was a native of Devon-
shire, England. Alpheus W. Pritchard grew up before free schools were 
instituted, and his education was acquired by private instruction in some of 
the subscription schools which then furnished educational advantages. He became
an apprentice blacksmith, a trade he thoroughly learned and in which he was a 
skillful worker for a number of years,inventing and making many useful articles.

As a young man he moved to Clarksburg, and his work for several years was that
of a blacksmith in this town.  Subsequently he enlarged his business enterprise 
to merchandising, and eventually concentrated his energies almost entirely in 
the field of real estate. He had in a remarkable degree the faculty of foresight 
which enabled him to anticipate future developments and at the same time influencing
developments. He acquired some holdings that became very valuable. One of the 
interesting of these properties is situated on what was known in the early days as 
The Point, and later Point Comfort. Here he owned many acres of land and built his 
house on one of the most attractive residence sites. He lived here for many years,
and enjoyed the situation the more because it affords a daily panorama, from which 
he could estimate and observe the progressive changes by which a small village had 
been converted into a thriving city by the hand and industry of man. On the site of
his old home now stands the magnificent Thorne home, one of the most attractive in 
the city. The house is English architecture and was planned and designed by his daugh-
ter, Mrs. Joseph W. Thorne, whose husband is a native of Harrison County.

Highly successful in business, the late Mr. Pritchard was known by all his friends 
and associates as a man of the highest integrity of character. His business brought
him in touch with the public, and gave him something of a public character. 
He never took advantage of a man, never foreclosed a mortgage, and he succeeded 
not by making the misfortunes of others help him, but through his constructive 
foresight and working always for the best interests of his clients and the public 
at large.

June 27, 1843, Mr. Pritchard married Miss Mary Wolfe, who was born in Harrison 
County, November 25, 1824. Her birthplace was the farm which included the portion 
of land now occupied by the Clarksburg Country Club. Her father, David Wolfe; 
served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. To Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard were 
born nine children, the youngest of whom is Mrs. Metta Victoria Thorne of Clarks-
burg. Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard were very actively identified with the work of 
the Baptist Church.

Alpheus W. Pritchard died November 3, 1901, at the age of eighty-two. His widow 
survived him and passed away December 28, 1910, aged eighty-six.