Jan 2, 2026 By Gary Stout 5 min read

Late last summer, former commissioner Bracken Burns knocked on our door in East Washington. Burns was seeking information on the individual who had built the large ornate older homes in our neighborhood. Like most East Washington residents, we knew the age of our home, but could not name the builder.

Despite my lack of knowledge on local architecture, Burns settled into a comfortable chair and began to tell us an incredible tale. A gentleman by the name of Maj. A.G. Happer returned to Washington County after the Civil War and proceeded to transform the area into a modern community. Among his projects, one of Happer’s businesses built many of East Washington’s finest homes.

Apart from a state historical marker in front of the Washington & Jefferson College Admissions building (the beautiful structure Happer built and lived in after the war), he has received little attention. To begin to correct this oversight, what follows is a summary of the local Civil War hero and business leader’s achievements.

Most of the information Burns related to me came from a book by Jim Douglas, a Pennsylvania Civil War historian and author. To research this commentary, I borrowed Burns’ copy of “Born to Serve: The Major A.G. Happer Story” (2015). I am only able to provide a short discussion on Happer’s family history and Civil War exploits. For those seeking more background, this book is an excellent source.

Andrew Gardner Happer was born on August 15, 1839, on the Washington County family farm in Union Township. In 1859, he enrolled in what was then Washington College. After Fort Sumter was attacked, Happer left school and enlisted in the First Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry.

Happer entered military service as a private soldier of low rank and left the Union army as a major, a stunning accomplishment. He participated in the battles of First Bull Run, Dranesville, Thoroughfare Gap, Second Bull Run, Chantilly, South Mountain, Antietam (where he was first wounded, but remained in charge as senior officer), Fredericksburg, Burnside’s Advance, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, and the first-and second-day battles of the Wilderness.

During his final encounter, Happer was severely wounded and left for dead on the battlefield. A kindhearted confederate soldier kept him alive and cleaned his wound until he was sent to an enemy field hospital. Soon after, he was transported to the notorious Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. Six months later, Happer was part of a prisoner exchange and began a slow, painful recuperation. The confederate mini-ball in his pelvis was never removed.

Following Lincoln’s assassination, the governor of Pennsylvania chose now Maj. Happer as part of his delegation to accompany the coffin back to Illinois for burial, on the somber train called the “Lincoln Special.” Happer considered this duty the greatest honor of his life.

Happer’s initial employment after returning to Washington County was as Assessor of Internal Revenue. His time as a bureaucrat only lasted from 1866 until 1871. He then turned his attention to the business world for opportunities to modernize Washington and to help others.

Happer’s first venture was to open an insurance office at 55 S. Main St. in Washington. The 1871 great Chicago fire convinced many customers that fire insurance was a necessary expense. Happer’s business did exceptionally well. He soon married one of the most eligible young ladies in town, Matilda Morgan Watson, the daughter of a prominent attorney. Together they built the magnificent structure made of Cleveland stone on East Wheeling Street, now the W&J Admissions House.

Happer was interested in helping orphans and displaced children who were living in the floundering Western Pennsylvania House of Refuge. He convinced the governor, John Hartranft, to support the building of a new facility, “Morganza,” on 503 acres of land owned by his wife’s family. The facility opened in 1876 with Happer serving as President of the Board of Managers until 1911.

Happer realized that a growing Washington required many modern upgrades to keep pace. Among the first was a stable source of capital to finance the new ventures. In 1885, he assembled some partners to form the Citizens Bank of Washington. The bank was successful, and by 1908, deposits exceeded $3 million. Happer was also a founding member and sat on the Board of the Union Trust Company.

Happer was instrumental in forming the Wheeling Oil Company and the first telephone exchange in 1884, the Citizen’s Water Company in 1885, and in developing the West End of Washington. In 1888, East Washington was subdivided by Happer’s real estate business. He then constructed many of the stately Victorian homes that grace our community.

Following the Civil War, Washington County had no hospital. Happer, along with three local physicians, petitioned the commonwealth to obtain a charter. Happer joined with several other men and advanced their personal funds to purchase the Acheson homestead on what is now Acheson Avenue. This first hospital opened in May of 1898, and Happer was board president for many years.

The Washington centennial celebration of 1910 was a grand affair. Happer at age 71 was still involved in many of the entities he had helped to create. Happer died in April 1915, a modest man with no buildings or streets named in his honor. However, there is no doubt that Maj. Happer made significant contributions to Washington County, both as war hero and business leader.

Gary Stout is a Washington attorney.