George Freeman House

The top photograph shows home of George and Annie Beals Freeman in St. Petersburg, PA.

Just as Charles Wesley Freeman built the well known Historic Freeman House in Bramwell, his brother GEORGE FREEMAN and wife, Annie Beals Freeman built a fine home for his family in St. Petersburg, PA and it is pictured above. It was built in 1902. Bob Gallagher's grandmother told him that the St. Petersburg Freeman home was the first house in town to have electricity and that it even had a bowling alley in the basement. The reason the George Freeman House had electricity was a small oil well existed on the farm, ( they called it Bay Fanny). A building about the size of a double garage was situated behind the main house that housed the electric generator. The generator building can be seen in the above picture of the St. Petersburg house.

Anne Theresa Toy (Liebermann) who was born in Bramwell, WV in 1901-02. Her father was James Toy who lived with his family for a time in Bramwell and worked for John Freeman. James Toy was married to Elizabeth Beals, Elizabeth being the sister of Annie Beals (Freeman) who married John Freeman’s son, George. Thus the family connection. The Toy family was based primarily in St. Petersburg, PA (N.W. Pennsylvania) as was the George Freeman family.

The second photo is of the young twins, Roy and Ray Freeman, George Freeman's sons. Ray & Roy were born Dec. 8, 1900, in Freeman, WV, They were the last of 4 boys.

In Ray and Madeleine Swisher Freeman's family there was one boy and 6 girls born between 1923 - 1941. Listed by age, oldest first: William George (Bill) Freeman, Patricia Freeman Vest (Deceased), Sarah Margaret (Sally) Freeman Crockett (Deceased), Madeleine (Monie) Freeman Lazenby, Nancy Freeman Patterson (Deceased), Mary Ray Freeman Potts (Deceased) and Virginia Freeman Velleca. In 2010 there are three of Ray Freeman's seven children remaining: Bill Freeman, the oldest, Monie Freeman Lazenby (Madeleine after her mother, Madeleine Swisher Freeman) and the youngest child, Virginia Freeman Velleca.

Charles Wesley Freeman's Historic Freeman House in the town of Bramwell, WV was known to be the largest house in Bramwell in 1909. The house has been remodeled many times over the years. It remains as a residence in the town of Bramwell.

Material furnished by Bob Gallagher and Virginia Freeman Velleca (Daughter of Ray and Madeleine Swisher Freeman).