To spot the Hawkins House, look straight ahead for a large, two-story brick home painted bright white with deep green shutters and a central doorway framed by columns-it's the stately house with flags waving above the entrance, standing proudly at the edge of the sidewalk.
Here you are, at the final stop! Imagine standing in front of this impressive house, its white walls gleaming in the sun and the air filled with the distant rustle of trees. But don’t let its calm appearance fool you-this place has worn many hats, and maybe even a few bonnets! Over the past 180 years, the Hawkins House, known also as the Cantrill House, has been a rope factory, a women’s dormitory, a bustling home, and a silent witness to the changing tides in Georgetown’s history.
Picture the late 1700s: the area wasn’t even Georgetown yet, but a budding town called Lebanon, Virginia. It started around Royal Spring, where the water was cool and reliable-which, let’s be honest, was even better than having fast Wi-Fi back then. And thanks to some forward-thinking folks like Elijah Craig, the name soon changed to honor America’s first president, George Washington. Who wouldn’t want a town named after them?
Now, back to this house. The land here was known as “ropewalk alley,” and it lived up to the name. With fields of hemp just up the road, Thomas Hawkins once ran a ropewalk and bagging factory right where you’re standing. Imagine the steady slap of hemp being twisted into rope, the low murmur of workers, and the scent of raw fiber in the air. Rope from here helped supply a growing region, tying together Georgetown’s early fortunes.
But then, the story takes a twist-literally! Georgetown College snapped up this spot not once, not twice, but three times. Once, it served as a president’s home. Then a men’s dorm (good luck to anyone trying to keep it clean back then!). At one point, a tragic fire struck the Georgetown Female Seminary, so the house became a refuge for women students. The halls rang with laughter, stress, and maybe a little gossip-imagine author Sallie Rochester Ford scribbling her first stories somewhere inside.
And just when you think things would finally settle down, the house transformed again-becoming the elegant family home for professors, doctors, and the well-known Hawkins clan, each adding a chapter to its story. The Hawkins House stands here today, quietly holding all these memories beneath its roof. Can you feel the footsteps of time echoing around you? As we end our tour, take a moment to imagine the many lives and voices that built Georgetown's storied past-sometimes all a house needs is a good story and a little bit of rope!
