Cornelius Howard Gist (1770 - 1830)

Born 25 Jan 1770 in Baltimore County, Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Clara (Reinecker) Gist — married 2 Jul 1792 in Baltimore, MD

Descendants

Died 4 Jan 1830 at age 59 in Brooke, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Cornelius was born in 1770. Cornelius Gist ... He passed away in 1830. ^[1]

Cornelius Gist built the Gist Schoolhouse and in 1818, was chairman of a group of men who started to build a hard surface road known as Washington Pike. This road, which took 12 years to build, is still in use.

In 1950, Maria Gist, Pine Lawn Farm, Wellsburg, WVA, wrote the following description of the house built by Cornelius in 1814: Cornelius Gist built a substantial log house on his plantation, as it was called. It was built on a steep slope facing south. The upper side had floors on the ground. One of the rooms was known as the Preacher's room, because it was used for visiting preachers - circuit riders being the only ministers in those days. A well equipped basement was connected to the main floor by means of a dumb waiter. Two flights of stone steps led from the excellent stone enclosed spring on one side of the yard below the house.

Two large rooms with a wide hall between faced the south, with a long porch extending all the way along the front. This had a carved railing as it was high off the ground with broad steps leading down. A low 2nd story had dormer windows - the whole appearance being that of southern homes of the day. It so endeared itself to the family that three succeeding generations have continued to live in it, although more suitable locations have been proposed. The view from the porch is far reaching. The three succeeding generations have been headed by three successive Joseph Gists. The present occupants are Joseph Gist and his wife Cleda Gist. Laura K. Gist and Karen Lorraine Gist, their children and James B. Gist, Brother and partner of Joseph Gist.

The will of Cornelius H. Gist, Brooke County, VA was made October 26, 1830 and proved in December, 1830.

Besides the daughter, Elizabeth Pamelia Gist, noted above (and our descendant from Christopher Gist of England, they had 9 other children: John Reiniker (1793), William Howard (b. 1795), Pamelia (b. 1801), Louisiana (b. 1804), Cornelius H (b. 1807), George R (b. 1810), Emeline (b. 1813), Joshua Wells (b. 1817) and Joseph Christopher (b. 1820).

Clara Gist, wife of Cornelius, live another 28 years after the death of her husband. On December 5, 1832 (?), she sold to Wm. Gist of Baltimore, MD, son, all the land that she came into possession of from the will of Conrad Reinicker (Brooke Co. VA Deeds, TK 228, p. 523), (Baltimore Cty, MD wills 8, p. 499)

Birth 25 JAN 1770 Baltimore County, Maryland

Christening St. Thomas, Baltimore, Maryland

Sources

1. ↑ Dorsey, Jean Muir and Jay Maxwell Dorsey. Christopher Gist of Maryland: And Some of His Descendants, 1679-1957, Chicago, Illinois : J. S. Swift Company, 1958; digital images, Archive.org (https://archive.org : accessed 14 March 2021), pg. 82 <https://archive.org/details/christophergisto00dors>

Photos are from the same source.