Golfers at the Highland Springs Golf Course located at the intersection of Route 88 and 27 as they play up to the 10th and 12th greens will notice a small enclosure at the crest of the ridge in which are located two grave stones.
These graves are the final resting place of two of BROOKE COUNTY'S earliest settlers, MAJOR FRANCIS MC GUIRE and his wife BARBARA MC GUIRE.
Major McGuire came into the area just at the end of the 18th century to take up land under a patent he received from the Commonwealth of Virginia for his services during the Revolutionary War. Legend has it that he endeavored to avoid trouble with the Indians by purchasing the property from them with a bag of beans and some plug tobacco.
All of the land encompassed by the Highland Springs Golf Course and what is now known as WAUGH'S SUBDIVISION was included in Major McGuire's holdings.
The home now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. John Paull of Eagle Manufacturing Co. located on Route 88 was the site of Major McGuire's log cabin. In 1801 McGuire added the brick portion of the house that is now standing.
An unconfirmed story is told that shortly after the McGuire's moved into the area that their son was bitten by a rabid animal and died as a result. A family burial ground was started, the same that is now located on the gold course but there is no other stone than those marking the graves of the Major and his wife.
As late as 1822 the road known now as Route 88 was designated as McGuire's Road. It followed a different route than at present as it left the Washington Pike (Route 27) at the George Gist farm, now owned by Robert Baron, and passed over the hill to reach the McGuire house.
The grave stones indicate that Major McGuire died in September 1830 and his wife passed away on December 29, 1835.
When Campbell Waugh subsequently came into possession of the property he removed the log cabin portion of the McGuire House and built the frame portion that completed the house as it now stands.
Under ownership of the Waugh's much of the land holding was devoted to orchards. The large building now used as a clubhouse for the golf course was a large apple storage and processing facility. Apples from these orchards were shipped to virtually every part of the United States.
