Oakleigh Manor and Unger's Store
The strategic location of Unger's Store , at the crossroads of the Winchester Grade and the Martinsburg-Romney Turnpike, made it not only important to commerce but to the military. During the Civil War Colonel Tuner Ashby and his Confederate Cavalry had picket lines along the Martinsburg turnpike in 1861. Captain Sam Coyner, a commander of one of Ashby's companies, sent many letters from the Unger Store post office to his sister.
General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson made his headquarters in Unger on January 2, 1862 on his way to attack Bath. On his return from Bath he again made his headquarters at Oakleigh Manor from the 7th through the 12th of January, when he continued his march to Romney. Some 8,000 soldiers were camped in and around the house in freezing weather, with deep snow and ice. The foul weather caused many of the troops to become sick, and those not able to travel and were left a at hospital set up in a nearby home, as well as with the Unger's. Several soldiers died and are buried on the Unger property. Another soldier, William H. H. Lowe of the 1st Georgia, who died is buired at the Oakland Cemetery.
After the war, Washington Unger served in the WV House of Delegates being the first Democrat elected by Morgan County voters. His oldest son Algernon, inhereted the house after his father died in 1876.
Algernon married Mary Virginia Sherrard, and together had six childern. Three of there childern did not survive and are buired in the Oakland Cemtery. Virginia's father was George W. Sherrard, who's land adjouned the Unger's. Virginia died in the house in 1889, when she shot herself, in the back bedroom of the house. Algernon like his father was also involved in politics by serving two terms in the WV Senate. He also added to the families business clout by adding a steam powered flour mill, which sat on the foundation of the present day Unger's Mill. He remarried and built a house in Berkeley Springs, known as Highlawn. This kept him close to the Washignton Hotel in which he was a business partner.
Algernon died in 1902 and Oakleigh was sold at Auction to settle the estate. The house passed through several families and was purchased by the Shambaugh family in 1968. Robert Shamabugh inhereted it upon his parents death, and is trying to restore it back to its former glory. Mr. Shambaugh is related to Washington Unger.