Parkersburg, West Virginia: VP Aaron Burr's Death Mask: Seditionist Island Utopia

Aaron Burr's death mask is a copy of a copy! The museum has a few Burr historical displays and even more on the Blennerhassett family. By all means pay to take the paddlewheel boat and enjoy the 20 minute ride to the recreated Blennerhassett mansion, where a guide in period clothing will take you through the house. The docents are very knowledgeable!

This is the historic island on the Ohio River where Harmon Blennerhassett and his family built a plantation complete with slaves and a mansion in what was then the Indian dominated wilderness. He was branded a seditionist/terrorist by the British goverment for his part in attempting to free Ireland from British rule. In the early 19th century he was visited by Aaron Burr, who conspired with Blennerhassett to develop and train a militia on his isolated island and then take over the south west. Thomas Jefferson sent soldiers to the island to arrest them for sedition which led to the "trial of the century."

The mansion later burned down and a nice reproduction was built on the original site in the late 1980s. Every summer there are paddle-wheeler boat rides to the island where a costumed tour is given.