Welcome.
The Judge Joseph Barker Jr. House is among the most significant of Washington County's historic buildings. Due to the prominence of its builder and owner, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The house and its surrounding 3.51 acres were granted to the Friends of the Joseph Barker Jr. House on September 23rd, 2022. FJBJ’s mission is the faithful effort to reconstruct the architectural character of the house back to Colonel Joseph Barker Sr.'s original vision.
Efforts have already begun to evaluate the structure, plan the work, secure the funding, and execute the many tasks needed to fulfill this mission.
Friends of the Joseph Barker Jr. House
Executive Committee
Jack Haessly
William Reynolds
Wesley Clarke
Anthony Durm
Robert Ferguson
Julie Haessly
President
VP for Preservation
VP for Development
VP for Restoration
Treasurer
Secretary
Where is the Barker House?
The Barker House is located in Lower Newport, OH, about 15 minutes east of Marietta. It is situated against the backdrop of the Ohio River just south of the Willow Island Lock and Dam.
While work is ongoing at the house, it is not currently open to the public. Fishing and access to the river from this site is not permitted.
“If you’ve read David McCullough’s latest book, The Pioneers, the name of Joseph Barker sounds very familiar. Barker built a home in Washington County, just outside Marietta, that became known as the Barker House. I’ve been working for several years with Senator Portman and a group of concerned Ohio residents – Friends of the Barker House – to preserve this important part of both national and local history.”
—U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BILL JOHNSON, R-OH 6th DISTRICT
