Talk:Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Epicgenius (talk · contribs) 17:13, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

Hi West Virginian, I will review this article. I'll leave some in-depth comments later. Epicgenius (talk) 17:13, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

• Epicgenius, thank you so much for taking the time to perform this review. I look forward to working with you throughout this process, as always. Thanks again! — West Virginian (talk) 19:12, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not)
It is reasonably well written. a (prose, spelling, and grammar): b (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists): It is factually accurate and verifiable. a (references): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR): d (copyvio and plagiarism): It is broad in its coverage. a (major aspects): b (focused): It follows the neutral point of view policy. Fair representation without bias: It is stable. No edit wars, etc.: It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate. a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
Overall: Pass/Fail:
· · ·

Prose, POV, and coverage

@West Virginian: Sorry for the delay. I'm going to leave some preliminary comments about the first few sections. Epicgenius (talk) 18:40, 17 March 2021 (UTC)

• Epicgenius, no apologies necessary! I thoroughly appreciate you taking the time to perform this review, and look forward to working with you throughout this review process. I'll begin addressing your comments today and I'll ping you once I'm finished. Thanks again, as always! -- West Virginian (talk) 22:38, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• @West Virginian: No problem. It may take me a few days to get to reviewing the references. If I don't get back to you by Monday, just let me know when you're done. Epicgenius (talk) 22:46, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

Generally:

• Are there any records for how much each purchase (in the History section) cost?

• Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate that information regarding the purchase price of each acquisition of the property in available references. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:38, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• I see. That is a minor point, just wanted to check if that was actually missing from the sources. Epicgenius (talk) 18:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Lead:

• The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House is an 18th-century complex of three structures, built between the 1740s and 1780s, in Romney, West Virginia. - It may be redundant to mention "18th-century" in the beginning if you later mention they were all completed between the 1740s and 1780s.

• I've modified this to, "The Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House is a complex of three structures..." to avoid redundancy. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:38, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• Throughout the course of its history - This can be shortened to "Throughout its history"

• I've modified this to, "Throughout its history..." accordingly. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:38, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• The earliest recorded person - This can be "The earliest person recorded", to avoid the impression the resident was himself recorded.

• I've modified this to, "The earliest person recorded residing on" accordingly. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:38, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• Andrew Wodrow arrived in Hampshire County during the latter phase of the American Revolutionary War, or shortly after its close - Does this mean that he arrived near or after the end of the war?

• I've modified this sentence to read as such: "Andrew Wodrow arrived in Hampshire County near or after the end of the American Revolutionary War..." -- West Virginian (talk) 22:38, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• after which ownership passed to Wodrow’s son-in-law John McDowell, a Dr. McClinoch, and the Mytinger family who retained the property for about 100 years. - I suppose these are 3 different entities, but this may benefit from semicolons in the serial list, just for clarification, e.g. "Wodrow’s son-in-law, John McDowell; a Dr. McClinoch; and the Mytinger family, who retained the property for about 100 years."

• I've modified this phrasing accordingly, with added semicolons: "Wodrow’s son-in-law, John McDowell; a Dr. McClinoch; and the Mytinger family, who retained the property for about 100 years." -- West Virginian (talk) 22:39, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

Geography and setting:

• Taggart Hall, a late 18th-century residence, is located to the property's immediate east - this could also be shortened as "Taggart Hall, a late 18th-century residence, is immediately east of the property".

• Thank you for this suggested rephrasing! I've modified this sentence accordingly. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:44, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

Background:

• Charles II finally ascended to the English throne - after presumably several failed attempts? If not, then "finally" may not be needed".

• I removed "finally." -- West Virginian (talk) 22:44, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• is aligned to an old trail - follows the old trail?

• I changed this to "follows." -- West Virginian (talk) 22:44, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

Wilson family:

• Washington praised him for his earnestness and courage. - Could you consider combining this with the previous sentence, if possible? It seems a little out of place. However, this is just a suggestion.

• I combined this by adding the following to the preceding sentence: "..., for which Washington praised him for his earnestness and courage." -- West Virginian (talk) 22:44, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• He was involved [...] He encouraged support for the American Revolution [...] He died from an illness - I would suggest changing up the sentence pattern a bit. Right now, three sentences in a row start with "He".

• I changed one mention of "he" to Wilson to avoid repetition. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:44, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

Wodrow family:

• He was descended from a family of scholars and professors. His father Robert Wodrow was a historian of the Church of Scotland with a "national reputation" and published his history in 1752, the same year as Wodrow's birth. - If Andrew Wodrow has his own article, could this paragraph be condensed a bit? I would suggest only mentioning whatever is pertinent to the house, e.g. his history in the colony of Virginia.

• I trimmed down this paragraph to some essential points of information about Wodrow, and can trim this down more as you see fit. Thank you for this suggestion! -- West Virginian (talk) 22:50, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• Following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, [...] Following the cessation of his import business, - There are two sentences in a row starting with "Following". I would also change this up.

• I removed the second instance of following. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:50, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

• Successive owners included Wodrow's son-in-law John McDowell, Dr. McClinoch who was one of Romney's first physicians, and the Mytinger family, in whose hands the property remained for about 100 years - This has the same issue as in the lead; this can use semicolons to break up a long serial list.

• I've added semicolons to the sentence accordingly. -- West Virginian (talk) 22:50, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

Mytinger family:

• This section is quite short. Was there really nothing of note during these 98 years? What was the significance of the family, for example?

• I've added some additional details about Tobias Mytinger and his family. Please let me know if this requires further expansion. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Manning H. Williams purchased the house from the Mytinger family in 1959. - Should this go into the following section? Thus far, all acquisitions are mentioned in the section about the respective family. I know this contradicts the above point, though.

• I've moved this sentence down to the next section accordingly. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Williams family and restoration:

• Until that time, much of the structures' original building materials and architectural details remained extant, although in a state of deterioration. Modern conveniences, including electricity, plumbing, and a central heating system, had not been installed. - Conversely, this could be moved to the preceding section to form a contrast with the renovations.

• I've moved this to the preceding section. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• When painting the structure's walls and woodwork, a concerted effort was made to duplicate the original or period paint colors. - This contains a misplaced modifier (i.e. who made the concerted effort?)

• Rephrased to: "During the renovation, contractors made a concerted effort to duplicate the original or period paint colors when painting the structure's walls and woodwork."

Stelling family and Colonial Craftsmen:

• and Gary Winkles operated the museum and store - what was his relation to the family?

• I was not able to find Gary Winkles' relation to the Stelling family. Please let me know how best to handle this. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• That is fine with me, I was just wondering if he was a family member. Perhaps "Stelling's daughters Rebecca, Deborah, and Rhetta Stelling, along with Gary Winkles, operated..." Epicgenius (talk) 18:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Thank you! I've modified the wording to: "Stelling's daughters Rebecca, Deborah, and Rhetta Stelling, along with Gary Winkles, operated the museum and store." -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

• While under Stelling family ownership, the Wilson-Wodrow-Mytinger House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on August 22, 1977[35]—only the second historic property in Hampshire County to be listed after the Sloan–Parker House.[35] - this paragraph is only one sentence. I would suggest either splitting it into two sentences or combining it with the previous paragraph.

• I combined this with the preceding paragraph. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Old Hampshire, Ltd.:

• including a renovation of the kitchen building's crumbling stone chimney and a replacement of the roof's shingles from the 1962 restoration in December 2019 - I would mention the date earlier in the sentence.

• Rephrased to "Hott and Eddis have continued to maintain and restore the house, and have completed large construction projects, including a renovation of the kitchen building's crumbling stone chimney and a replacement of the 1962 roof shingles in December 2019." -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Is it still a museum and shop?

• The property is part veterinary clinic and part museum, occasionally open for tours. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• I see. Was this the case before Old Hampshire took over the property? Epicgenius (talk) 18:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• The veterinary clinic opened at the property after Old Hampshire took over the property. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:09, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

Old Presbyterian Church and Cemetery:

• Unlike the other subsections of "History", this is not necessarily chronological. Could this be its own level-2 section?

• I've made this a level-2 section. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Wodrow was interred in this cemetery located atop the lots' hill. - this is a bit unclear. Was he interred atop the hill, or was the cemetery atop the hill?

• Rephrased to "Wodrow was interred in this cemetery located at the top of the cemetery's hill." -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Architecture:

• Do we know even an approximate time when "the dwelling" was built?

• Curiously, I've been unable to find an approximate year or timeframe for the dwelling's construction. Please let me know how best to handle this in the prose. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:07, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• I would suggest just clarifying that it likely dates from the 18th century (assuming that was in the text), otherwise just say the date of construction is unknown. Epicgenius (talk) 18:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• The three structures are positioned near one another and connected by one-story porches throughout most of their existence - For consistency, this should be "...and have been connected".

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Generally, "located" and "situated" are filler words. I think these words can be removed in this section, as their absence rarely makes the article less clear.

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Also, do we know the approximate square footage of the property?

• According to Redfin, the property is approximately 2,519 sq ft. However, I'm not able to find another source for this information. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Kitchen structure (c. 1750):

• Between 2009 and 2014, the kitchen building's stone chimney began to crumble, and it was rebuilt using some of the original stones.[36] The cedar shingles from the 1962 restoration were replaced in December 2019.[36] - This may be more appropriate in "Old Hampshire, Ltd.".

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Can you extend the "gable" link to gable roof?

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• Can you link to sash window?

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Residential structure:

• two traverse the ground level lengthwise and two traverse the upper level lengthwise. - Is it possible to condense this? E.g. "two each traversing the ground level and upper level lengthwise".

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• A bolection molding frames the fireplace opening, however, there is no mantel shelf - The comma after "opening" should be a semicolon.

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

• The residential structure was possibly built for Lord Fairfax or his land agent - Instead of "was possibly", I'd say "may have been".

• Done. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Clerk's office (1780s)

• The fireplace mantel's shelf support - Do you mean something like a bracket (architecture)?

• Yes, I did! Thank you! Bracket has been added. -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

Old log house

• No issues here.

• Epicgenius, thank you again for your phenomenal and comprehensive review. I truly appreciate your time and expertise, and I enjoyed addressing each of your comments and suggestions. Please review and let me know if you have any further suggestions and recommendations for me to address in the meantime! -- West Virginian (talk) 00:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

  West Virginian, no problem. I'll take a closer look tomorrow. So far the improvements look good. Barring any major issues with references or copyright, I expect to pass this page as a GA very soon. Epicgenius (talk) 01:14, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

References

• All sources are of high quality, either government or secondary sources.
• Spotchecks of 5 sources found no issues.
• For "p. XXX of the PDF file" references, you can probably drop "file".

• I've dropped "file" from each instance of "PDF file." -- West Virginian (talk) 00:11, 22 March 2021 (UTC)

• Footnotes are OK as well.

Images and copyright

• Images are appropriately licensed and contain alt text.
• Copyright search comes up with a match to the NRHP nomination form. Let me check the status of WV NRHP nominations. Epicgenius (talk) 18:27, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
  • @West Virginian: According to the copyright search, there are several phrases which are fairly close matches, in addition to quotes. Unfortunately I don't think it's public domain like other government documents, as it's written by a local organization, which may still have copyright. However, even if it were public domain, it would have had to be marked appropriately with {{PD-notice}}. Epicgenius (talk) 19:41, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
    • Epicgenius, thank you for pointing this out. I performed some minor rephrasing to avoid close matches. Please re-review and let me know if you find any outstanding close matches outside of direct quotations. Thanks again! -- West Virginian (talk) 01:34, 22 March 2021 (UTC)
      • I've taken another look. It seems the issues in question are resolved. Epicgenius (talk) 01:40, 22 March 2021 (UTC)
• There are no other copyright problems.

General comments

•  On hold Epicgenius (talk) 19:41, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
  • @West Virginian: Great work, I am passing this page for GA. Epicgenius (talk) 01:40, 22 March 2021 (UTC)
    • @Epicgenius:, thank you again for your thorough and comprehensive review of this article! I appreciate your time and expertise and look forward to working with you again on another project soon. — West Virginian (talk) 02:59, 22 March 2021 (UTC)