~ OLD MANSION ~

A HISTORY OF CHANGE IN THE VIRGINIA LANDSCAPE BOWLING GREEN

CAROLINE COUNTY, VIRGINIA

~ PRESENTED TO THE GARDEN CLUB OF VIRGINIA ~

SARAH A. TRAUTVETTER SUMMER ~ 2002

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DISCLAIMERS ~ The history of Old Mansion has been attempted by few and realized by even fewer. Located just south of the town of Bowling Green in Caroline County, Virginia, Old Mansion remains a puzzle even today. As Caroline County falls into the category of burned counties those which lost much of their official and original documents (land surveys, deeds, and records of all transactions) in the fires of the Civil War - little hard, factual evidence exists to assist the researcher in her endeavors. Instead, articles and short excerpts in history books recount fables, loose factoids, and the same three ghoststories, again and again. What does exist, however, is a fully intact eighteenth-century house, a beautiful - if slightly wild - landscape, a mid-nineteenthcentury farmbook, and a photograph album dating from the early twentieth century. Additionally, a 1941 report by the Historic Architectural Building Survey (HABS) provided some fundamental information, both written and graphic, from which I was able to begin my study. However, the most rewarding parts of this experience have been the on-site research, including land surveys, sketching, and exploration of the landscape, and the glimpse of nineteenth-century Virginia farm life revealed in the pages of the old farmbook. While its earlier history remains largely incomplete, this report attempts to unveil the latter years of the landscape at Old Mansion. Additionally, I sought to clear up some of the historical inconsistencies and erroneous claims that became clear to me during my research this summer. Under the circumstances, this is the best I think a researcher can hope to realize in a three month span. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge a few individuals for their support this summer. First, I am indebted to the Garden Club of Virginia for providing me with this wonderful opportunity and to its many members who gave me such a deep appreciation for Virginias diverse landscape. In addition, I thank both Maria Riley and Mr. William Rieley for their extensive help. Maria was invaluable as my surveying partner, and is to be praised for her levelheadedness, patience, and clear sense of logic. Will is the most gentle and knowledgeable of overseers; his guidance and quiet confidence in my abilities were immeasurable and greatly appreciated. And finally, I thank Mr. Edward Russell, current owner of Old Mansion, for his hospitality and interest in the project; and for providing usage of the photograph album and farmbook - both invaluable to the research. Thank you all.

Figure 1. Old Mansion and its historic bowling green lined with Eastern Redcedars, 2002.

OLD MANSION ~ ITS PLACE IN VIRGINIAS LANDSCAPE Described as a blue chip architectural treasure, Old Mansion is notable for providing a complete example of the residential house type found in the Chesapeake Bay area during the eighteenth century. The landscape surrounding Old Mansion is equally representative of the working estates held by the landed gentry at that date, with a number of twists and uniquities of its own. Before going further with a description of the house and its site, however, a few points must be clarified. Heralded as the oldest house in Caroline County still in existence (R.E. Fall, p. 18), Old Mansion was reportedly built in the 1600s, on land deeded to a Major Thomas Hoomes by King Charles II around 1667. This claim, however, may not be completely accurate. While it is possible that an earlier structure may have been built on the site by Major Thomas Hoomes in the late seventeenth century, physical evidence suggests that the existing house was actually built in the eighteenth century. The exterior walls and the two chimneys of the original portion of the house are built of brick and it is this brickwork that clearly places construction sometime between the years 1700 and 1750. In a good state of preservation, the patterning of the brickwork is split with English bond (alternating rows of stretchers only and headers only) used below the watertable and Flemish bond (each row composed of alternating header, stretcher, header, stretcher, etc.) with glazed headers appearing above the watertable. This differentiation is notable as it was the fashion in early colonial architecture to use English bond over the entire exterior until c. 1700 when it became popular to employ the more ornate Flemish bond with glazed headers. This technique remained in vogue until about 1750 when the glazed headers (and their subsequent plaid patterning) were considered too garish. From 1750 onwards, therefore, it was common to use the plain Flemish bond above the watertable and the English bond below. The second clarification that must be made regarding the history of Old Mansion is the fact that while the house has remained in a relatively unchanged state of preservation, the grounds surrounding the mansion have undergone considerable alteration. Little is known about the original design and intent of the landscape, yet one can make a safe assessment by studying contemporary examples. Although a more modest example of an eighteenth-century Virginia homestead, Old Mansion contains elements found at the likes of Sabine Hall, Mount Airy, and Mount Vernon. Some existing elements justify such an assessment, including: bowling greens, symmetrical and geometric formality of layout, cedar-lined drives, box-bordered squares, and a series of terracing or falls. Colonial landscapes were used both for profit and for pleasure. (Martin, p. xxiii) And the term garden became a metaphor in the minds of early Virginians, representing their increasing control over the environment and the progress of their lives in this new Figure 2. Brick bond patterning landscape.

dating the house to c.1700-1750.

While information is limited regarding the early years of Old Mansion, a considerable amount is known about the mid-nineteenth century and onwards. According to a farmbook found in the house and dating from 1844, Old Mansion was a working farm. This is not to say that Old Mansion was a ferme ornee, or ornamental farm, like Thomas Jeffersons Monticello but, instead, it was a farm whose sole purpose was the livelihood of its occupants. As such, the farm underwent continual transformation and improvement all of which serve to obscure a truly accurate historical documentation of the site. On the other hand, however, the farmbook reveals a decade of Old Mansions history in great detail, with daily entries that provide evidence of both the great variety of plants cultivated and the experience of living within this historic landscape. In addition to the layered history is the fact that the Old Mansion that one visits today is considerably smaller in area than that of the nineteenth century, let alone that of the eighteenth century. The present site comprises some 128 acres, most of which is uncleared and inaccessible. While the supposed original grant of c. 1667 was for 17,000 acres of land, the estate in 1824 totaled 2,694 acres and in the 1930s had shrunk to 500 acres. This alteration in itself changes the character of the property, fragmenting the total package and hindering a clear understanding for the original scope of Old Mansions landscape. Therefore, although the house has retained much of its eighteenth-century appearance, the landscape has experienced considerable change. While the house has grown, the property has been slowly carved away, and this difference is highly representative of the modern mentality regarding the need for more interior space, and suggests the diminishing importance of land in todays society. Old Mansion, aside from its providing physical evidence of the changing value of land and architectural styles, offers a clear glimpse into the cultural changes this country has undergone since its founding. Tracing the histories of the people associated with Old Mansion throughout its lifetime, one takes a journey through Virginias social history - from the Colonial period through postRevolutionary years, and from the Depression-era of the 1920s into the development-crazed 1980s and onto the present - the summer of 2002.
Figure 3. Old Mansion, c. 1925.

OLD MANSION ~ ITS MYTHS & LEGENDS Many stories have arisen around Old Mansion and its grounds, recounting both ghostly myths and historic legends about its occupants and visitors. These accounts range from the tragic to the heroic and are not to be read as anything more than entertaining lore. One essay in particular paints a pretty ghastly image, going so far as to call Old Mansion a haunted house. (Taylor, p. 147) This excerpt in Taylors book, The Ghosts of Fredericksburg, begins with a clear summarization of the wide variety of inexplicable psychic phenomena that have been attributed to Old Mansion over the years. Taylor writes that these phenomena include the following factors: a headless horseman who dashes around an old race track in front of the house...the returning apparition of a former owner which signals an imminent death in the family in residence...the reappearance of a woman who was frightened to death there... etc. In addition is a more historical legend claiming that during the Revolutionary War General George Washington and his soldiers camped at Old Mansion (the Bowling Green) on their way to Yorktown. And it is further alleged that on his return trip after the surrender of Cornwallis, Washington gave a great banquet on the lawn in honor of LaFayette. (Wingfield and others) This tradition seems to be of slightly more authentic origin as the HABS report notes that, according to Washingtons diary, he did have dinner on April 10, 1791, at what is now called the Old Mansion. The entry is as follows: April, 1791 --- Sunday, 10th. Left Fredericksburg about 6 oclock, - myself, Majr. Jackson and one servant, - breakfasted at General Spotswoods. The rest of my servants continued on to Todds Ordinary where they also breakfasted. Dined at Bowling Green, and lodged at Kenners Tavern, 14 miles farther -- in all 35 m. (HABS, p.5) The last myth places Old Mansion in a patriotic light as the house is said to have served the county in the Revolutionary cause. The Virginia Gazette of August 11, 1775, describes the Caroline Independent Company, a unit made up of local residents, as they went through the manual exercise, with a great variety of new and useful evolutions, at the Bowling Green in that county, before upwards of 1,500 spectators, who were exceedingly pleased with the dexterity and alertness of the men.... (Nichols)

Figure 9. View of the bowling green from the house, c. 1920.

OLD MANSION ~ A PHYSICAL ANALYSIS Old Mansion exemplifies the typical eighteenth-century Chesapeake Bay area house. Caroline County has been described as a middle-class county by T. Edward Campbell in his book, Colonial Caroline, and in this sense Old Mansion suits its context well. More modest than the larger plantation homes built in the lower Tidewater and along the James River at that same date, Old Mansion presides upon its landscape with a quiet grace. Set about 800 feet back from the Old Stagecoach Road (now Rte. 2) and one mile west of Maracossie Creek, Old Mansion remains just on the outskirts of town. The house is of the early colonial style - a one and one-half story brick structure with five dormer windows, a jerkinhead roof, and exterior brick chimneys at each end. This particular style of using one and one-half stories is said to have prevailed in the earliest Colonial period because of the higher tax levied by England on houses of two or more stories. (Wingfield, p. 357) As noted earlier, the brick patterning is Flemish bond with glazed headers above the watertable and English bond below, and it is evident that the brick has been whitewashed at some more recent date. (Many sources suggest that the bricks were brought from England; however, no documentary evidence has been found to support this claim.) The main house has remained relatively untouched, but a frame addition was added to the rear of the house in the late eighteenth century and a porch attached to the front of the main house in the nineteenth century. The rear wing has a gambrel roof, an exposed exterior chimney at the far end and is constructed of wood clapboard siding. This addition did have a small porch off its west side in the early twentieth century, which has since been removed, and it is known that access between the main house and the wing was restricted to the first floor.

Figure 4. Farm yard view of house, showing side porch, c.1920.

Originally known as Bowling Green, the estate became known as the Old Mansion in the early 1800s. The name, Bowling Green, issued from the long grass sward that spreads out before the house - an element commonly found in eighteenth century southern landscapes. This green is bordered on either side by rows of Eastern Redcedars which, according to tradition, were

brought as switches from Gloucester County, England, in the saddle bags of Major Hoomes. Whether this is historical fact or fiction is unknown, but what is certain is that many of these trees still stand today. These Redcedars are most important elements of the site and are constantly featured in newspaper articles about the house and on the front of postcards. Among the other equally notable elements of the existing landscape at Old Mansion are the groupings of stately Dwarf Boxwood that flank either side of the front facade and extend outward to the top of the drive. In addition are about thirty-eight younger Dwarf Boxwood planted to the east of the house in a simple geometric garden layout.

Figure 5. Dwarf Boxwood to left of house, 2002.

Figure 6. Dwarf Boxwood to right of house, c.1940.

Figure 7. Dwarf Boxwood in grid pattern to east of house, 2002.

In addition, a stately allee of American Hollies stretches along the southern edge of the upper terrace forming what was once referred to as Holly Avenue. These Hollies, originally planted in two rows about fourteen feet apart, seem to have been spaced sixteen to eighteen feet apart in the row. According to Donald Parker, a landscape architect hired to conduct a preliminary report of the grounds at Old Mansion in 1978, evidence indicated that a total of ten pairs of Hollies were originally planted at the site. In 1978 fifteen specimens remained and today, 2002, eleven trees are in existence (not all of these appear to be the originals). The sketch below indicates the location of Holly Avenue in relation to the house and the terraces - this plan/section was made during the initial stages of research.

Figure 9. Holly Avenue, c.1920.

Figure 8. Plan/Section sketch showing Holly

Avenue and its location at the edge of the Falls.

OLD MANSION ~ ITS INHABITANTS & LINEAGE The exact lineage of the early years of Old Mansion is yet unsubstantiated. According to Ralph Emmett Fall in his compilation, People, Postoffices & Communities in Caroline County, Virginia, 1727-1969, a Major Thomas Hoomes of England received a land grant in 1667 from King Charles II for 17,000 acres located in Caroline County, Virginia. However, the HABS report of 1941 claims that Major John Hoomes was in fact responsible for the original design of the house and its considerable grounds; and Campbell in his book, Colonial Caroline, notes that in 1667 John Hoomes patented 3,000 acres on a swamp leading to the northeast bank of the Mattapony... This tract was to become known as Bowling Green, and at a later date as the Old Mansion.... In addition, Wingfields History of Caroline County (from which many of these histories seem to have originated) does not give the Major a first name, nor the acreage of the supposed patent, but instead states it is quite certain that [the house] was not later than 1675. This leads one to believe that much of what has been published regarding the history of Bowling Green and, later Old Mansion, is highly speculative. Further, as Caroline County is a burned county, little exists to clear up these discrepencies, and what evidence there is does not support these claims of such an early date. For example, the County abstracts of Old Rappahannock and Essex Counties (1657-1728), which predate Caroline County, do not show any patents in the name of Hoomes or Homes (or any other possibly related spelling), nor do they record any patent of 17,000 acres. The County Records of Essex from 1691 and forward yield nothing, and unfortunately the County Records of Caroline do not exist prior to 1830. In fact, only the 1781 Land Tax Book of Caroline County provides any answers, and in Book A lists a John Hoomes with 1,844 acres, and in Book B a John Homes with 2,130 acres. Thus, despite the dearth of information available regarding the early history of Old Mansion and its original inhabitants, this Land Tax Book provides us with evidence of ownership of land as early as the Revolution. (As an additional note: the 1806 Land Tax Book records an increase in holdings from 1,844 acres for John Hoomes to 6,329 acres, and from 2,130 acres to 2,549 acres for John Homes. The location of each tract was finally included in the details of the 1814 Land Tax Book, allowing one to ascertain that the larger holding - that of Hoomes - was one mile south of the Courthouse, about the location of Old Mansion today, and the smaller tract was ten miles to the southwest.) More is known about Colonel John Waller Hoomes, allegedly the single son of the recipient of the crown grant (however known dates suggest two generations divide the men). Colonel John Hoomes was noted to have performed the duties of Post Master General for Bowling Green from 1790-1796, in fact it was certified that no contractor performed his duties with more faithfulness and punctuality(R.E. Fall, p. 36). In a letter from George Washington to Colonel John Hoomes, dated February 17, 1791, Washington refers to a Pack (Royal Gift) that though sure, is slow in covering... and he then goes on to discuss a Bill to establish the Post Office and Post Roads within the United States. This evidence points both to the fact that Colonel John Waller Hoomes was, indeed, a Post Master General, and more importantly, that he was at Bowling Green in the second half of the eighteenth century.

Colonel John Waller Hoomes was a colorful member of Carolines early society. In addition to his role as Post Master General, Colonel Hoomes served in the Virginia Senate (House of Delegates) from 1791-1796 (Wingfield, p. 41), and was an avid horseman. On December 16, 1803 (two years before his death), Colonel John Waller Hoomes presented the Virginia Assembly with a petition that provided a bond of $5,000 with which to build a new courthouse, and he included a deed for land from his property on which it was to be built. (Fall, p. 19) The town that eventually grew up around the courthouse, therefore, adopted its name of Bowling Green from this property, and the estate became known as Old Mansion from that point forward. What is now a long oval drive circling the lawn was once a race track, and reportedly one of the first on American soil. In fact, Bowling Green and later Old Mansion, was quite a social center during the latter half of the eighteenth century, hosting the Virginia Jockey Clubs annual races and frequent events of the larger American Jockey Club.

Figure 10. Bowling Green with encirling drive - site of the former race track, 2002.

Colonel John Hoomes played an interesting role in the history of American horse racing and breeding and became, in fact, one of the foremost importers of thoroughbred horses. According to Longrigg in his book, The History of Horse Racing, Colonel John Hoomes had a good stud, not large, before the Revolution, and raced his home-breds successfully in the 1780s. (p.206) From 1792 he began importing high-class horses specutively, nineteen stallions and thirteen mares by 1802, all of which he sold. (Longrigg, p. 206) Colonel Hoomes sought and attained the best in regards to thoroughbred breeding and importing; he had a good eye and, apparently, was not afraid to take a bit of a gamble on a horse. One example is his purchase of Diomed in 1798. Winner of the inaugural Epsom Derby in 1780, Diomed had become an in and outer (highly inconsistent), and was a long shot at the tracks. Colonel Hoomes, however, was not deterred and paid $250 for the horse, intending to use him for stud service. (Robertson, p. 37) Diomed performed better in America than he had in England and sired a number of successful thoroughbreds for Hoomes, establishing his owner as one of the leading horse breeders in the colonies.

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Horse racing in America has an interesting history and this background helps to explain the size and shape of the old race track surrounding the green at Old Mansion. Two generations prior to the Revolution, racing in Virginia was frequent and popular but, unfortunately, it went highly unrecorded. (Longrigg, p. 107) The density of Americas forests and the ever-present threat of starvation during the early years of the colonies was such that any cleared land in Virginia was used solely for agricultural purposes. Therefore, all early horse racing in Virginia took place on whatever open space was available, turning narrow tracts and short paths through the woods into makeshift race tracks. Some colonies even held races down their main streets - in Philadelphia, for example, the nick-name Race Street was so popular with its residents that it was formally adopted over the real name, Sassafras Street. (Robertson, p. 7) Distinctly American in character, this form of racing was completely new and was comprised of a very short dash, two horses matched, in which the start was crucial and bumping and crossing habitual. (Longrigg, p. 105) As tobacco farming grew in Virginia so, too, did the demand for cleared land. As a side note, tobacco deposits toxins into the earth that impoverish the soil, eventually rendering it useless for agricultural purposes. With Virginias increased sense of wealth and confidence, society felt it could be more wasteful with the land and quickly transformed these impoverished fields into race tracks. Excerpt from the original petition by John Hoomes for the county courthouse, December 16, 1803, filed in the original handwriting in the Virginia State Library, Archives Dept., and stating: ...that whereas the above bond John Hoomes inconsideration of the seat of Justice for the County Court of Caroline being removed to the Bowling Green did amongst other things agree to build and furnish for the use of the said County a good and sufficient Court house of the same size and kind of materials of the old Court house.... and upwards of four Acres of Land (sic.) are set aside for public purposes.... (HABS, p.3)
Figure 11. Image of the Caroline County Courthouse.

By the eighteenth century, the fervor for horse racing had reached a level in Virginia that earned considerable notice from European visitors. In 1759 Reverend Andrew Burnaby wrote, The Gentlemen of Virginia who are exceedingly fond of horse racing, have spared no expense or trouble to improve the breed of them by importing great numbers from England. (Stanard, p. 254) And in 1765 a visiting English Officer wrote, There are established races annually at almost every town and considerable place in Virginia. (Longrigg, p.107) Thus, it seems highly probable that, given Bowling Greens visible location between Fredericksburg and Richmond, it should be included in this dubious category of considerable places and, therefore, would have been associated with some sort of a horse racing venue.

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The layout of a race track typically found in the Virginia colonies due to this early value of cleared land was a straight track measuring one-quarter of a mile in length. The American quarterhorse developed as a result of this trend - bred for performance and their ability to start quickly and sprint swiftly, the quarter-horse originated in the colonies as fast, quarter-mile racers. (New Encyclopaedia Britannica 2002, p. 333) The quarter-horse was overshadowed by the thoroughbred as race tracks increased in length and eventually changed altogether to become of oval or circular shape. After the Revolution, American horse racing really came into its own with the development of the American thoroughbred and the greater availability of open tracts of land. A seemingly natural reaction against all things English, the Colonists resisted the recreation of the English steeplechase style of racing and opted instead for a more defined format. Unlike the English races that took place over hill and dale and were laid out by noblemen to suit their own whims with no thought given to the spectators, the Colonists rejected such elitism. Demanding that the contestants remain visible for the duration of the race, the Americans created circular tracks that provided both the necessary distance and the constant visibility of the racers. (Robertson, p. 9) This choice of the oval, therefore, has been attributed to the democratic spirit allegedly present in this country as far back as the Colonial period.

Figure 12. View down the bowling green

showing remains of former race track, c.1941.

The race track at Bowling Green (Old Mansion), is a curious hybrid of the quarter-mile track and the later circular track. While the distance around its circumference measures onequarter of a mile, the track is circular - providing a new twist on the straight quarter-mile race track typical of the Colonial period. (Paced measurements on site indicate the drive to be about 600 feet long which, with allowances for the turns, would equal one quarter of a mile or 1,320 feet.) This interesting layout suggests, once again, that the house and the landscape existing at Bowling Green date from a period later than 1675 - at the very least it allows for the possibility of constant change and development at Bowling Green during the early years of the estate.

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OLD MANSION ~ IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY It is during the 1800s that the history of Old Mansion becomes much clearer and accurate in its documentation. An extract from John Hoomes will, dated the first day of October 1804, reveals much information regarding the lineage of the house in the early part of the nineteenth century. The will states the following: I, John Hoomes, of the Bowling Green having my perfect senses and memory do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following -- Imprimis, I lend unto my beloved wife Judith Hoomes during her natural life, the tract of land wherupon I now live, comprised of Bowling Green and sundry purchases so as to form one entire tract of 4000 acres,...and at her death I direct all the slaves and personal estate lent to her to be equally divided among my children, John, William, Richard, Armistead and Sophia.... (HABS, p.6) According to several sources, the Colonels daughter, Sophia, married a Major Allen sometime in the mid-eighteenth century and moved from Bowling Green to Oak Ridge - a mile south on what is now Rte. 2. (Fall, p.18) Old Mansion remained in the Hoomes family until 1842, when the house and its surrounding acres were bought by William Grymes Maury, husband of Ann Hoomes (exactly where Ann fits into the family is yet unclear). Thanks largely to William Grymes Maury, a great deal can be gathered about life at Old Mansion during the nineteenth century. A farmbook found in the house describes daily life at Old Mansion from 1844 through 1854. These daily entries reveal a working landscape - days full of hard manual labor and a continual dependence on weather conditions for the livelihood of the occupants. In addition to William and Ann and their twelve children, evidence in the farmbook suggests the presence of at least two domestic helpers, Eliza & Caty, and two field hands, Humphrey & Truman (although, due to the scope of the described acreage it would seem likely that many more were actually retained - the number of hands possibly fluctuating with the season).
Figure. 13 Page one of Wm. G. Maurys Memorandum Book, 1844-1854.

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Half expense report, half farmbook, the document is titled, William G. Maurys Memorandum Book: Commencing April 3, 1844, Bowling Green, Caroline County. This Memorandum reveals much about the physical make-up of the estate, the plants found upon its soil - both cultivated and native, and the technology of fertilization with the use of Guano, lime and ash. As such, the book is of great documentary value to the Researcher and to anyone wishing to understand more about the history of agricultural life in nineteenth-century Virginia. The estate of Bowling Green Farm, as Maury refers to it, was surrounded on at least two sides by neighboring fields and plantations, and bisected by the Stage Road that ran across the northeast edge of the property. While Maury mentions names of neighbors and owners of certain fence-lines, it should be mentioned that no documentation has been secured to legitimate the exact scope and locale of these land holdings. I have merely taken Maurys words as a layer of information hopefully to be built upon in future studies. Among these names are several relatives (through both marriage and blood) and the aforementioned estate of Oak Ridge; these small connections help to substantiate the inclusion of these findings in my report. A listing of Old Mansions neighbors includes the following names: John Woolfolk (Williams brother-in-law), Dr. W.W. Roper (related by marriage), James Jim Gray, Charles Howard, Chapman, Harvey, John L. Pendleton, Mrs. Vaughan, and Oak Ridge. In addition, the following entry suggests that Maurys land extended as far as the Mattaponi River. On May 30, 1846, Maury wrote: Planted pumpkins & broom corn seed / About the 15 of this month there was the highest fresh(et) in Mattapony (sic.) known for many years did considerable damage to the crops on the River / There has been an unusual quantity of rain this spring. It is also evident that the estate spread down to a swamp located to the south of the property; on February 3, 1848, Maury wrote: Began to haul rails to continue the pasture fence at the lower end of the meadow to John Woolfolks fence in the woods side of the swamp.

Figure 14. Inset indicating town relative to the Mattapony River.

Figure 15. Map of a Survey of the Mattapony River. 1826. Claudius Crozet. (Virginia in Maps, p. 168.)

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OLD MANSION ~ IN DETAIL Divisions and physical elements of the landscape that are featured in the farmbook vary in scope and type. Some of these features include: Falls, Spring, Meadows (fenced in), High land, Lawn, Schoolhouse cut, Hill cut, Horse field, Large square, Ice dam, Ice house, S. Hill, Old field, Field across road, Garden, Orchards (pear and peach), and Pasture. While the majority of these locations are self-explanatory (ie: meadows, lawn, orchards, and pasture), a few require further definition. It is my belief that the Falls refer to the two terraces that drop off to the south and to the east behind the house. (Further evidence of this assessment is seen in the photograph album that dates from the early- to mid-twentieth century.) The shaping of sloping ground into a series of terraces was a common practice in Colonial landscape design - a solution to the difficulty of cultivating on non-level ground. Such terraces were also frequently referred to as falling gardens and are found in such sites as the Governers Palace at Williamsburg, and Sabine Hall among others. These falling gardens typically progressed from formal to agricultural as they fell away from the house - often devoted to flowers, grape arbors, and vegetable gardens as the distance increased. (Stanard, p.71) The fact that the term Falls appears both in the Memorandum and as an inscription on the photographs suggests rather conclusively that these terraces were of the original landscape design and retained much of their original function up until the later years of the nineteenth century. Maury stated on April 30, 1845, that he Planted Cymlin patch by the fall and on April 9, 1847, wrote: Set out grape vines on the fall in the garden. The most interesting allusion made to the Falls, however, was made on March 24, 1851, in the following entry: Began to make steps at the fall to the kitchen & finished the steps & turfing the fall. The 1845 entry regarding the Cymlin patch suggests that a vegetable garden existed on one of the falls at that time. This is consistent with my earlier conversation with Mrs. Patricia Hass - a former owner of Old Mansion - who remembers a large vegetable garden on the first fall to the south of the level plateau. A flower garden was planted on the fall to the east as is seen in the photograph to the left titled: Butter & Eggs on Falls 1931 April.
Figure 15. Photograph of the first fall planted with daffodils, 1931.

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It is possible that during Maurys tenure at Old Mansion, the vegetable garden took up the entirety of the first fall, and from the scope of his vegetable inventory this seems highly probable. A list of plants culled from the pages of the farmbook reveals both the necessity of a garden sizable enough to accommodate such an array and the diversity of culinary species grown in Virginia during the nineteenth century. The list includes: Cymlins (pattypan squash), watermelons, Irish potatoes, cabbage, asparagus, peas, beets, carrots, parsnips, black and white mustard, kale, parsley, York seed, lettuce, pumpkins, sassafras, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, snap beans, butterbeans, cantaloupe, and several kinds of beans Lewis brought from Mexico & California. (June 10, 1848) While fewer clues remain from which to learn about the lower fall, Maury refers frequently to a pear orchard and pear trees on his land, at one point noting that he Sowed 1 1/2 bushels red wheat on the hillside by the pear trees. (October 17, 1845) Mrs. Hass recalls a pear orchard planted on the lower fall to the east and several photographs found in the album substantiate this claim. In fact, three pear trees exist today on this lower fall and, while it might be hard to believe that these three trees could have belonged to the nineteenth century orchard, I have reason to believe that they did. Two of the existing trees run right along the edge of the fall, similar to the layout seen in Figure 17, and with the third pear tree located about ninety-two feet in distance from the southernmost speciman, these trees form three corners of a grid configuration that could be a vestige of the old orchard. In addition, the caliper measurements alone (1.25, 1.5, 1.5) date these pear trees at least to the late nineteenth century and possibly earlier. The location of the existing trees again suggests they were originally planted in a grid pattern and, together with our survey, the photographs help to further verify this belief.

Figure 16. Pear Orchard at Old Mansion, c. 1930s.

Figure 17. Pear Orchard, April 1938.

This L-shaped double fall terrace is still in existence. While long-since emptied of its vegetables and flowers, the upper fall remains a valuable element within this historic landscape providing physical evidence of occupation since the Colonial period. The falls slope at a 2:1 ratio,

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typical of land that is not to be used for access but rather for the cultivation of climbing plants vines and arbors for grapes and berries, etc. As Maury noted in his farmbook, the falls were turfed in areas, but his mentioning of putting steps in the fall indicates that one did not access the flat terraces by way of these slopes without some such intervention. Mrs. Hass, too, remembers a set of wooden steps that lead from the southern end of the Holly Avenue on the

Figures 18 & 19. Location of the corner of the first fall with a view back to Holly Avenue and the house in the distance, 2002.

upper terrace down to the first fall where a flower garden was located. These steps, being made of wood, have long since decayed but the location makes sense regarding the alignment of the Avenue with the east edge, and its termination just before the southern edge, of the upper terrace. The inclines have since been taken over by an impenetrable mass of Ailanthus, poison ivy,

17

blackberry vines, brambles, and other invasives, leaving the site with a generally disheveled appearance and completely obliterating any image of order. In eighteenth-century Virginia, these falls were frequently kept shaved by scythes to retain their shape and give some sense of regularity to the landscape. (Leighton, p. 365) The second (lower) fall was the site of a pear orchard to the south and pasture land that extended out westward. As mentioned above, the pear orchard has left behind some evidence of its former existence and the images below illustrate the present condition of this site.

Figure 20. View of Pear Orchard from eastern edge, 2002.

Upper Terrace

First Fall Second Fall

Figure 21. Survey showing existing pear trees as part of the original orchard.

18

A common sight on early Colonial landscapes, the boxwood at Old Mansion deserves particular attention due both to its rare size and its interesting history. While most likely planted in the late eighteenth century, judging from the calipers of some of the trunks found during surveying (two trunks measuring 2 feet in diameter), the Dwarf Boxwood in front of the house has maintained most of its original form and dignity. However, while many photographs exist from the early twentieth century depicting the location and state of the boxwood, it is difficult to deduce the formal design, if any, of its original planting. Contemporary houses were frequently preceded by box-lined walks or drives, and geometric plantings of boxwood were typical elements of the Colonial garden. The existing box is planted in a symmetrical L pattern that extends forward from the front corners of the house and turns to create a right angle on each side. It is not known whether these two groupings were originally planted as squares that over the years have lost their shape due to disease or other causes. Adding complexity to the issue is the fact that sometime in the 1930s many of the boxwoods were removed from Old Mansion and donated to the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, where they still border the front steps. No record

Figure 22. View of Dwarf Boxwood flanking the left of the house, 2002.

remains regarding the location of these missing boxwoods; however, due to some of the photographs, one could speculate that they were originally planted to the right of the house. Images from the early twentieth century indicate the presence of a large grouping of stately boxwoods planted near a Redcedar and abutting the old Ice House. As the Redcedar still exists and a concrete foundation for the Ice House was discovered during surveying, one can reason that this was the former locale of the boxwood. (see Fig. 28 as well)
Figure 23. Photograph showing the boxwood that was later donated to Washington Cathedral, 1910s.

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The majority of the photographs from the twentieth century showcase the boxwood as the choice background for family portraits and the documentation of house parties. While providing a clear view of the characters who frequented Old Mansions grounds, these images also provide a human scale on which to judge the size of the boxwood. As the boxwood was already in the eightto nine-foot range by the early 1900s, one can easily date these boxwood back about two hundred years, to 1700 or so.

Figure 24. House party, 1915.

Figure 25. Portrait, c.1920.

Figure 26. Family portrait, 1928.

Figure 27. Portrait, 1925.

Figure 28. Portrait, in front of boxwood to left of house.

20

During the early 1900s, according to Mrs. Hass, a road was located to the left of the house that ran from the upper fields, between the boxwood, and back around the house to the stable and barns. While no physical evidence remains to verify this memory, the photographs reveal that a road did indeed pass between the boxwood at one time. As Old Mansion and its surrounding landscape was primarily a working farm during most of the nineteenth century and into the early part of the twentieth century, it seems fitting that a road would be used to provide direct access between the fields before the house and the barns located behind and to the west; what is not clear, however, is the exact location of this road. In Figure 29 a road is visible at the extreme left edge of the photograph and seems to disappear behind the boxwood. This road, however, is different than that featured in Figure 30; in this image a road extends back towards the bowling green with a view of the cedars in the distance. The location of these trees in Figure 30 negates the possibility that this is the same road as that found to the left of the house. This fact is illustrated in Figures 31 and 32 that simulate a hypothetical view from the road to the left of the house in which the bowling green is not visible. That a road might have run around to the right of the house as well as to the left is highly probable, and becomes even more so when one considers that all of the outbuildings of the farm were located to the right side.

Figure 29. A road between the boxwood, 1941.

Figure 30. View back to the bowling green, 1941.

Figure 31. View through left boxwood, 2002.

Figure 32. Sketch of view, 2002.

21

In addition to the double planting of Dwarf Boxwood in front of the house is a boxwood garden located to the east of the house on the upper terrace by the Holly Avenue. This collection of Dwarf Boxwood is comprised of considerably smaller plants than those previously described and is planted in a clear geometric pattern. The relative size of these boxwoods suggests that this garden is of a more recent origin than the plantings before the house and the position of the center path strengthens this assessment. A four-foot wide path divides the garden into two equal squares and is in direct alignment with a door of the rear wing. This alignment is so evident that it negates any claims for coincidence and, instead, intimates that the garden was planted after the addition of the wing; thus, dating the rear boxwood garden to the early nineteenth century. Symmetry and order were two elements commonly found in Colonial landscapes and this box-bordered double-square garden provides a good example of both. A cross path, no longer as evident as the primary path, appears to have been in direct alignment with an old Red Maple that graces most of the upper terrace with its shade.
Figure 33. Image showing paths alignment with door of wing (door outlined in red), 2002.

Figure 34. View toward house with boxwood garden to right, (note arrow pointing to location of the cross-path), 2002.

Figure 35. Image of the old Red Maple, 2002.

22

One more living feature of the landscape deserves mention before going forward with description of the outbuildings at Old Mansion. The old White Mulberry located to the northwest of the house stands in much the same state as it has for about three centuries. The image below shows the Mulberry in the 1920s and, judging from the height and girth of the tree, it seems it was already well-established by that time. The Mulberry is revered for its production of silk and, according to legend, England offered her colonists a bounty of 100 pounds for each Mulberry tree planted with the goal of one day rivaling India in silk production. Major Hoomes, however, cannot be accused of commercialism or the bowling green would be lined with Mulberries instead of Redcedars. The more likely reason for the presence of the Mulberry tree was fruit production. A common culinary ingredient in the eighteenth century - mulberries were used in pies, jams, and wines, and often were used as a dye for textiles and wool as well. Today, the Mulberry is one of the remaining elements of the original landscape and, though the recipient of a lightening bolt, appears to be in excellent health.

Figure 36. View of the Mulberry with work buildings in the background, c.1920.

Figure 37. View of the Mulberry with remaning shed in the background, 2002.

Figure 38. Up close view of the Mulberry showing a recent lightening scar, 2002.

23

As alluded to in a previous section, all of the outbuildings (or working buildings) of Old Mansion were located to the west of the house. This layout is consistent with what is known regarding the layout of houses and landscapes of the Colonial period. Typically symmetrical in plan, the main house would divide the landscape into two realms made up of a working garden and an ornamental garden. In some cases, and at Old Mansion, the working garden included the working buildings: the barn, stable, kitchen, dairy house, and any other storage sheds needed on the farm. Maury refers to a number of buildings in his Memorandum including: a stable, a smoke house, a kitchen, a schoolhouse, and an Ice House, all of which were common features of large agricultural farms at that time. While two small sheds exist on the property to the west of the Mulberry, nothing remains of the stable, schoolhouse or kitchen. A fire-insurance plat dated November, 1805, locates in a rough plan both the kitchen and a Wooden Lumber House (possibly the barn) to the west of the house, again suggesting the segregation of the working area from the more formal parts of the landscape. This 1805 plan places the kitchen at a distance of 54 feet off the front corner of the main house and the Lumber House at a distance of 53 feet from the back corner of the main house. Both buildings were orthogonally aligned with the west side of the house. The siting of the Lumber House coincides with a description given by Maury of his stable and its surroundings: October 10, 1845, Sowed the red early wheat in the meadow below the stable.... and is consistent with photographs from the twentieth century. The land drops off just behind the barns seen in the photograph below and this sloping open area might very well have been Maurys meadow.

Figure 39. Fire-insurance plat for Old Mansion, November 1805.

Figure 40. Photograph of an outbuilding at Old Mansion, c.1920, possible site of the Lumber House.

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While the exact locations of the kitchen, stables, and barn (lumber house) are still largely speculative at this point, the Ice House has left behind more comprehensive clues. Lacking electricity and the technical know-how required for refrigeration as we know it, colonists depended on the ice house for the storage of ice. Common elements in the colonial working landscape, ice houses assured a continual supply of ice throughout the year. Numerous references have been left from which one can presume the existence of an Ice House at Old Mansion from at least the 1840s. Once again, the farmbook reveals some solid evidence that adds dimension to our understanding of Old Mansion and its grounds. In an entry dated January 11, 1849, William Grymes Maury describes the construction of an Ice House. He writes: Began 12 oclock to make Ice House, finished next day 12 oclock. and January 12, Began 12 oclock to haul ice. An ice house built in one day would have to be of rather crude description, quite possibly without a foundation.
Figure 41. Page from the Memorandum Book with the 1849 entry of constructing the Ice House.

This assumption is given credibility in later entries that describe the eventual siding and roofing of the Ice House, and these did not occur until two years after intial construction. In the winter of 1851 Maury finished his Ice House; in an entry dated January 10, 1851, he wrote: Hauled tar to fill up between the watlings (sic.) of the Ice House, on January 15, Covered Ice House with corn stalks, and on February 25 Finished the roof over the Ice House. The initial Ice House, therefore, most likely resembled a shallow hole in the ground lined with brick and fenced in with a series of rails through which an insulating material would have been woven.
Ice Pond Barn Kitchen

Figure 42. View of the working garden at Old Mansion, c.1920, with locator plan.

25

What is missing from Maurys trail of clues, however, is the location of this nineteenthcentury Ice House. While documentation of the exact siting is no longer in existence, frequent references are made in the farmbook to an Ice Pond. As it is logical to assume that an Ice House would most likely be located near or on the route to the Ice Pond (for ease of accessibility and transfer) one can begin to reason the approximate location of the Ice House. In addition, Mrs Hass remembers an Ice Pond located to the west of the outbuildings that remained in use through the early twentieth century and this is verified by photographic evidence in the family album. Whether this twentieth-century Ice House is the same structure or even in the same location as Maurys has yet to be proven but it does give one something tangible with which to work. The photographs locate the Ice House to the west of the main house and tucked in the shade of some very large boxwood and a stately cedar. Interestingly, during our survey of the site a concrete foundation was uncovered in this same area and is under a cedar. The foundation is rectangular, measuring 9 feet by 15 feet with a small projection on one of the longer sides that was most likely the entrance. Figure 43. View of Ice House c.1920. The discovery of this foundation provides additional evidence confirming the location of the structure in the photographs. In a few cases handwritten text accompanying the images labels the little shed Ice House and this further substantiates the theory that the foundation and the Ice House are one and the same. The fact that the entrance of the foundation is oriented towards what could have been a road makes sense with the layout of the landscape at Old Mansion, as well.
Figure 44. Ice House foundation, detail of entrance, 2002.

Figure 45. Man in front of Ice House, surrounded by boxwood and cedar, c.1920.

26

The road to the Ice Pond would most likely have lead from the entry drive around behind the working buildings and down into the meadow to the Ice Pond located to the west. A photograph from the 1920s titled Arthur Cherry on Road to the Ice Pond verifys the existence of such a road while the orientation of the aforementioned foundation suggests the direction of its route. A photograph from c.1910 illustrates a divergence at the top of the drive where wheel tracks can be seen turning off to the right away from the top of the circle. This path would have run directly in front of the Ice House on its route down to the barns and eventually have arrived at the Ice Pond.

Figure 46. Sketch with possible location of the Road to the Ice Pond by the Ice House. Figure 47. View showing wagon tracks turning away from the drive towards the Ice House, c.1910.

Figure 48. Arthur Cherry on Road to the Ice Pond, c.1920.

27

Currently, a trace of this road to the Ice Pond extends from the entry drive to the right between the boxwood and a scrubby border of Hackberry and Linden trees. This ghost path runs directly in front of the Ice House foundation and continues to the end of the white board fencing on the west edge of the working garden. The road then leads down in front of the two existing sheds into the meadow, disappearing into the dense woodland that is at present inaccessible due a blockade of Ailanthus, Sumac, brambles, and Poison Ivy. The Ice Pond is located just beyond this point and it would be interesting to investigate further during a season when entry is more feasible.

Figure 49. View of possible trace road leading down to the Ice Pond from the entry drive, 2002.

Figure 50. View of road leading down to the Ice Pond, 2002.

28

OLD MANSION ~ IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY William Grymes Maury continued to farm at Old Mansion until 1862 when the house and land passed to his son-in-law, James Thomas White. White had married Maurys second daughter, Finella Maury, and they continued Old Mansions legacy as a working farm with cotton and tobacco as the primary crops. It is their daughter, Anne Maury White (born c.1878), who was responsible for Old Mansions nomination to the National Registry of Historic Places. In 1969 Anne Maury White left the house and its land to the children of her first cousin. The beneficiaries of this trust were: John Howe Cecil Jr., Patricia Cecil Hass, John B. Cary Jr., and Jane Abert Cecil. And it is Mrs. Hass who has provided some of these clues regarding life at Old Mansion in the early part of the last century. Mrs. Hass and her family spent many childhood summers at Old Mansion visiting their cousins and exploring a landscape very different from their Richmond neighborhood. According to Mrs. Hass, the farm comprised some 500 acres made up of hay and corn fields and pasture land that extended all the way back to the site of the current bypass. A large herd of Holstein cattle dominated Maurys old field across road, and was sheltered in one of the barns located to the right of the house. The landscape to the left of the house had become a true farm yard where the former well was replaced by a watertower, complete with windmill, and hens and chickens ran free. The rear wing was rented to tenants who worked the land and Mrs. Hass remembers its little porch being the perfect place for holding watermelon seed-spitting contests.

Figure 51. Pat and Jane Cecil shucking corn, c.1931.

Figure 51. Pat and JaneCecil with lone Locust, 1938.

Figure 52. Harvesting the fields, 1938.

Figure 53. Hay bale, c.1935.

29

Aside from its strong agricultural bent, one gets the feeling from the photographs that Old Mansion definitely witnessed the Roaring Twenties and all of the intemperance and thrift that accompanied that period. The landscape lost a bit of its formality with the 1930s removal of boxwood to Washington, DC, the planting of Locusts before the house (c.1920), and the loss of several large Redcedars from around the bowling green. An air of economy prevailed and, while the vegetable garden and some crops were maintained, the 500 acres were slowly sold off for profit so that by the 1950s only the current 128 acres remained.

Figure 54. View back to house showing single row of Locusts lining front walk, c.1925.

The small boxwoods that currently line the front walk are a later twentieth-century addition, planted around 1970 to replace the ailing Locust trees. According to photographs and two existing stumps, a single row of Honey Locusts once lined the path before the house. It is clear from the images that their demise was progressive over time, adding to the slightly disheveled appearance of the house, and that one tree stood alone for a considerable time. Just the fact that it was not a double row of trees, an allee, but a single row of four again suggests an element of indigence in the landscape.

Figures 55 & 56. Views of original four Locusts lining the front walk at Old Mansion, 1925.

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OLD MANSION ~ THE HOUSE AND LANDSCAPE TODAY The same black cloud that required the selling of land in the 1920s and 1930s continues to plague Old Mansion. In February of 1969 Miss Anne Maury White granted the Commonwealth of Virginia an easement that insured perpetual rights of preservation to 110 acres and was intended to protect the historic setting and atmosphere of the property at Old Mansion. While this easement was the first such grant made to the Historic Landmarks Commission and is part of the Virginia Outdoors Plan implemented in 1966 to encourage the preservation of openspaces, the power of development seems to be above any such plan. Dr. Edward P. Alexander, Chairman of the Historic Landmarks Commission, described the grant as a generous expression of historic interest by the donor, and referred to Old Mansion as a beautiful and important historic site that will offer benefits to be shared by Virginians, and other Americans, for generations to come. (The Caroline Progress, Feb. 19, 1969) Old Mansion was among the first fiftysix sites and structures to be placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, as well. As it turns out, such assignments of value did not come a minute too soon. Located on Route 2, the main local connector between Fredericksburg and Richmond, Old Mansion sits on very valuable real estate. Developers have snatched up land all along this north/ south spine, building residential communities and commercial strips every five miles. This gradual encroachment reached Old Mansion twelve years ago when plans for a bypass that would link U.S. 301 northwest of Bowling Green with State Route 207 south of town became public knowledge. Apparently plans had begun back in 1963 but were abandoned in 1969 at the granting of the historic easement. (Satterthwaite) The issue resurfaced when the Bowling Green Town Council and the Caroline County Board of Supervisors endorsed completion of the bypass along its original route even though it would sever one-fifth of Old Mansions estate. Merchants on Main Street, however, who depend on tourists for business, voiced their concern saying that the town had been bypassed enough in the past. Much debate and argument ensued and finally the Virginia Historic Landmarks Board voted unanimously to keep the easement. Members of the Board said they were left little choice but to reject the release of the historic easement protecting Old Mansion. As one member stated, I cant think of any seriousminded person who would trust us (with an easement) if we were to grant this.

Town

Old Mansion Bypass

Figure 57. Map showing intended bypass cutting across Old Mansions property.

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The landscape at Old Mansion is multi-layered; it has withstood considerable change in regards to both its users and its uses and, in this sense it represents the changing landscape of Virginia since the early Colonial years. Strategically located between Fredericksburg and Richmond, Old Mansion has witnessed the Revolution, the Civil War, the Industrial boom, the Great Depression and, presently, the greed of developers. This architectural treasure and its surrounding landscape will continue to be threatened by the onslaught of development unless a concerted effort is made at a number of levels. Local officials and Town Council members must be educated about the importance of this site to the nations architectural and landscape heritage. Old Mansion should be included in literature highlighting Virginias historic sites, and Colonial architecture in particular. In short, more research is required to flush out the full lineage of the house and a survey should be done that documents the estates total acreage. At present the property is largely inaccessible and, therefore, this summers documentation focused mainly on the areas closest to the house. There is much to be learned from Old Mansion about the architecture and the landscape of our nation, about the agriculture and the social culture of Virginia. I have very much enjoyed this chance to explore Old Mansion and only hope that this summers work will serve to secure the future and continued unveiling of this unique example of Colonial life in Virginia.

Figure 59. Laying down the tennis court at the top of the bowling green, c.1915.

Figure 58. Care-free life at Old Mansion, c.1920.

Figure 60. Tennis at Old Mansion, c.1915.

32

SOURCES & CREDITS

1. American Society of Landscape Architects. Colonial Gardens. Washington, D.C.: United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission, 1932. 2. Campbell, T. Elliott. Colonial Caroline. Dietz Press, 2001. 3. Craig, Dennis. Horse-racing: The Breeding of Thoroughbreds and a Short History of the English Turf. London: J. A. Allen & Co., 1963. 4. Fall, Ralph Emmett. Mr. J. Woolfolks Stagecoach Line, Caroline County, Virginia, Virginia Cavalcade, Summer 1977. 5. Fall, Ralph Emmett. People, Postoffices & Communities in Caroline County, Virginia, 1727-1969. Georgia: WH Wolfe Associates, 1989. 6. Hume, Audrey Noel. Archaeology and the American Gardener. Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1974. 7. Leighton, Ann. American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century, For Use or For Delight. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1986. 8. Loder, Eileen P. Bibliography of the History and Organisation of Horse Racing & Thoroughbred Racing in Great Britain and Ireland. New York: J. A. Allen & Co., 1978. 9. Longrigg, Roger. The History of Horse Racing. London: Macmillan, 1972. 10. Maccubin, Robert P., and Peter Martin. British and American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century. Virginia: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1984. 11. Martin, Peter. The Pleasure Gardens of Virginia. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1991. 12. Maury, William Grymes. Memorandum, Bowling Green Farm. 1844-1854. 13. New Encyclopaedia Britannica, v. 1 & v. 9. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2002. 14. Nichols, Ashton. Where the Spirit Lives On, Free Lance-Star, June 17, 1976. 15. Old Mansion, Caroline County, Virginia. Historic Architectural Building Survey Report, 1941. 16. Pepper, Mabel Gentry. Historic Boxwood from Old Mansion, The Atlanta Journal, January 28, 1934. 17. Report on the Town of Bowling Green - County of Caroline Voluntary Settlement Agreement. Virginia: The Commission on Local Government, 1996. 18. Robertson, William H. P. The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1964.

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19. Satterthwaite, Amy. Bypass Hits Dead End, Free Lance-Star, February 17, 1988. 20. Sarudy, Barbara Wells. Gardens & Gardening in the Chesapeake, 1700 - 1805. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998. 21. Stanard, Mary Newton. Colonial Virginia, Its People & Customs. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1917. 22. Taylor, L.B., Jr.. The Ghosts of Fredericksburg. Progress Printing Co., Inc., 1991. 23. Virginia Gardens. Maine: American Society of Landscape Architects Publications Board, 1938. 24. Wingfield, Marshall. A History of Caroline County, Virginia, from its Formation in 1727 to 1924. Virginia: Press of Trevvet Christian, 1924. 25. Camille Wells, Architectural Historian and Distinguished Lecturer at The University of Virginia. 26. County Records: Caroline County Land Tax Books 1787-1821 Essex County: Deeds, Wills, Inventories, Abstracts of Land Patents Old Rappahannock County: Deeds, Wills, 1654-1691 Abstracts of Land Patents 1657-1692

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APPENDIX ~ FARMBOOK 1844-1845 (EXCERPTS) 1844 April 10 16 26 27 May 6 8 9 20 21 18 8 11 16 28 Sweet potatoes and corn Sally went to Bowling Gr. for first time. Planted Cymlins (pattypan squash) Sowed 8 Bushels oats in ice pond. Sowed oats in meadow Sowed 3 Bushels oats on garded (sic.) spots in the corn field the other side the road by way of experiment to improve the land. Planted cotton & Watermellons (sic.) & Irish potatoes by the spring Finished replanting corn in meadow. Ditto corn in horse field. Began to throw dirt to corn in the field over the road. Finished filling out middles on the high land. Finished filling out middles in meadow. Began to put up plank fence below the new gate. Put up 3 stacks Blade fodder by the Pear trees Pulled up & stacked crops (corn, fodder, cotton) Began to sow wheat in meadow / Harvesting of last corn. Finished sowing wheat in corn land below the orchard in late white wheat / Sowed about 10 Bushels & 2 in the lot joining cherry trees / Sowed 45 Bushels in all. Finished gathering all the corn except the meadow / Finished picking out cotton. Finished making Peoples shoes. Put 150 Bushels in new corn house. Sowed cabbage seed in John Woolfolks tobacco plant patch by the large hickory / Sowed cabbage seed in the plant patch in the Garden. Sowed early York cabbage seed. Moved & put up the fence from my fence to John Woolfolks, say 130 pannells (sic.). Finished listing and throwing out middles in the schoolhouse cut with double plough. Finished the fence to the lower gate 106 pannells (sic.); put up last year 157 on the same ditch making 263 in all. Finished listing corn land and breaking up middles. Sally folded a mare colt / Finished planting corn / Planted 2 rows beginning in the row next to the large persimmon tree. Began to sow oats by the spring. Planted Cymlin patch by the fall. Finished hauling & spreading pine leaves on about 3 acres land next to the Stage road Sowed 5 Bushels oats on it and 12 Bushels lime.

June July Aug.

Sept. Oct. 1 Nov. 1 16 20 23 1845 Jan. 3 6 16 1 29 Apr. 3 24 30 2 6

Mar.

May

10 12 13 27 6

Aug. Oct.

10 15 17 21 Nov. Dec. 27 11 26 31 1846 Jan. 12 Feb. 10 17 23 Mar. 20 Apr. May Oct. 1 30 1 5 20

Truman finished ditching the meadow up to the stable / Took 2 days to side the corn in schoolhouse cut with 4 ploughs / Began to side corn in Hill cut / Planted peas. except the cut next to Milford Mead. Began to shrub the ditch in meadow next to Chapmans (took 5 days). John A. Taylor began in said ditch with 2 hands besides himself bargained to do the bal. @ 4 ct./yard. Sowed 300 lbs. Guano on 2 acres of land after ploughing it with double ploughs between the Walnut tree & large Cherry tree next to the road & 250 lbs. on one acre from said Walnut tree to the large Cherry tree this way / Sowed 30 Bushels of lime on 1 acre of land next to the fence having 3 corn rows between the lime & Guano Began to sow wheat next to the fence on the limed & Guano land 1 bushel to the acre & harrowed it in. Sowed the red early wheat in the meadow below the stable took 3 bushels from the head of the ditch next to schoolhouse to the Ice Dam & 1 from the head of said ditch to the line fence next to John L. Pendleton. Sowed 1 bushels from the large walnut tree to the top of the hill by the old wheat yard / Had several light frost but not to kill vines of any description. Sowed 1 bushels red wheat on the hillside by the pear trees. Sowed 4 bushels red wheat in the bottom from the large walnut tree to the road leading to the schoolhouse. Planted out peach orchard of choice selection trees / Covered the strawberry vines with litter & bark / Covered asparagus beds with litter & bark. Covered the vegetables with brush / Finished shucking corn / James Gray took his beef I fattened for him the 9th. Clowdy (sic.) threatening, snowed a little in the morning very cold wind north all day. Sent bull cow to Holly Hill. Began to shrub the road fence in the pasture / Have one lamb. Sent 512# cotton to Collinss mill with the bags say 500 lbs. nett (sic.). Received all cotton from the mill 207 lbs. in all. Repaired the garden fence. Sowed peas, beets, carrots, parsnips, B. mustard, cale (sic.), parsley & early York seed / Set out lettuce. Finished the meadow fence 457 panels from Oak Ridge line to the upper line. Planted pumpkins & broom corn seed / About the 15 of this month there was the highest fresh (et) in Mattapony (sic.) known for many years did considerable damage to the crops on the River / There has been an unusual quantity of rain this spring. Began to rick up the tops on the high land / Gathered the winter pears / Began to feed a stear (sic.) I got of Geo. Hoomes to fatten / Hes to have 1 side of the meat. Began to gather apples. Sowed red forward wheat in bottom leading to Ropers line. (referring to Dr. W. Roper related through Maurys wife, Ann Hoomes)

Nov.

22 24 28 12

24 1847 Jan. 1 Mar. 30 Apr. 6 9 12 14 21 10

Sowed white wheat on the hill. Sowed white wheat in the two small bottoms. Sowed white wheat by James Gray. Sowed 2 bushels wheat by Howard from the lower end of his garden to the wood / Sowed about 350 lbs. Guano on near 2 acres of land by Charles Howards beginning a few corn rows beyond the large pine stump at the head of the gully, to the lower corner of said Howards garden / harrowed it in. Put away the cabbages on the 21st, say about 2000 heads some very good. Finished hauling manure on the garden below the falls. Sowed peas, snap beans, parsnips, beets, carrots, sassafras, onions, parsley, colliflower (sic.) & tomatoes / Planted Irish potatoes yesterday. Set out rasberrys (sic.) & gooseberry bushes. Set out grape vines on the fall in the garden. Began to plant corn by the cedar lawn / Made an estimate of the number of yards of ditching in the little meadow from the head, to the fence there is about 1980 yds. Finished planting from Cedar Row to pasture fence & the little bottom by the fence. Sowed oats in peach orchard, 2 bushels, strawberrys (sic.) began to ripen. Took Mary Hill Maurys woman Eliza from Joseph Wright the 25th of May. Began to haul rails to continue the pasture fence at the lower end of the meadow to John Woolfolks fence in the woods side of the swamp. Sowed black & white mustard / Ploughed the garden except where the vegetables are / Began to feed the cattle with top fodder. Moved the schoolhouse. Finished putting 7 flour barrels of ashes & plaster in corn hills on the poor hillsides near the place where the schoolhouse stood. Planted several kinds of beans Lewis brought from Mexico & California. Planted baden corn in pasture joining the meadow & swamp. Planted musmellon (sic.) & cucumber seed for pickles. Replanted beans by the stable. Began to put up 2 log houses 30 feet by 13 for servants. Finished putting up bodies & rafters. Finished putting up another log body for servants 14 by 13. Began to take chimney down in Catys & Elizas house. Caty & Eliza moved into their new houses the 9th of this month. Sowed 1 bushels wheat which makes 14 sowed on the level from the 2 small new houses to the Gate. Covered the strawberry vines with manure & pine tags / Pulled up the onions which were quite green. Began 12 oclock to make Ice House, finished next day 12 oclock.

May June

1848 Feb. 3 Mar. Apr. June 27 5 21

10 17 July 5 12 Aug. 18 26 Sept. 8 Oct. 3 13 26 Nov. 22

1849 Jan. 11

Feb. Mar. Apr. May

12 14 15 12 24 11 10 12 12

June

July 28 Sept. 4 Nov. 11 1850 Jan. 25 Feb. 2 20 26 27 27 28 10 11 7 1 28 3

Began 12 oclock to haul ice. Finished by 12 oclock filling Ice House. Began to put the outer circle to Ice House. Finished shrubing (sic.) along the line fence next to Oak Ridge. Covered Ice House with corn stalks. Planted peach stones in the orchard where the trees are to grow. Began to sow oats in meadow below the spring. Finished sowing the meadow & the bottom up to John L. Pendletons line fence in oats took about 19 bushels / Planted pears. (Pendleton was a Clerk of the county court, became Postmaster of Edmundsbury in May 1807 Fall p.125) Replanted corn in meadow of the Origan kind. (Origan corn is a variety that had been crossed with oregano) Set out the large square in cabbage plants say 1450. Began to fallow for wheat by Charles Howards. Sowed 2 bushels wheat began in Jim Grays cut. Began to plough again / Finished the cow shelter. Finished ploughing the fresh land on Milford Road / Began to plough in the orchard lot. Finished the line fence next to Fanny Bowlers house which ought to have been done last year / Began to drop rails along the road fence beginning at the lower end at the Oak tree. Finished ploughing in the garden. Sowed peas ten rows / Finished shucking corn & housing the same. Snowed all day very cold & has been near a fortnight. Filled the Ice House with snow. A novel circumstance. Began to replace the fence between Dr. Roper & myself. Louisa Bullard came here to live. Planted cotton seed / Ditto crowder peas in garden. Began to sow wheat by the Cedar Row. Finished sowing wheat / Sowed about 56 bushels in all & used about 4 tons Guano. Sowed 4 bushels plaster on about 3 acres of wheat commencing by the Cedar Row & ending by the young apple trees the last row, half of that was not sowed next the road / I think one row beyond that the Guano commenced. Hauled tar to fill up between the watlings (sic.) of the Ice House. Covered Ice House with corn stalks. Finished ploughing all the high land except 4 or 5 acres left to put Guano next to John L. Pendletons grave yard. Humphrey is to clean out the main water ditch in my meadow joining John Woolfolk from his fence to the crop ditch above the Sickamore (sic.) tree @ 1 cents per yard / He finding himself with the understanding that if the job should prove heavy to add cent more the balance / The ditches @ 1 cent per yard that I may have cleaned out / I

Mar. Apr. May Nov. Dec.

1851 Jan. 10 15 Feb. 6 7

Mar.

24 25 15 18 24 3 4 9

Apr.

am to shrub all the ditch as far down as the land is cleared, from there to John Woolfolks fence he is to trim himself, to commence the work early next week & continue the same when the weather will permit his working thereon. Humphrey began to clean out ditches in meadow below the stable. Finished the roof over the Ice House took 300 feet of _______ plank The five last rows of Irish potatoes planted today, were the white that came from Washington. Peach trees began to bloom several days ago. Began to make steps at the fall to the kitchen & finished the steps & turfing the fall. Made 19 secret ditches on the north side of the meadow from the spring below the Ice Dam to the Sickamore (sic.) tree / Made 5 secret ditches on the ditch leading from the Willow spring / Finished working the Raspberry vines & hops. Humphrey finished cleaning out the ditch from the gate to the pole fence yesterday morning then helped me to make the secret ditches named above & today commenced cleaning the ditch for plank fence. Loped the catalpa trees. Stocked the Ice Dam. Salted up pork. Fixed the Ice House ready to receive ice. Finished putting all the ice in the house, it looks about 3 feet of being to the top of the watling (sic.). Began to shrub on the level next to S. Hill. Began to plough on the said level. - Garden inventory: Beets, parsnips, carrots, sassafras, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, parsley, Irish potatoes. Clover seed, about 162 tons, on about 7 acres of old field. Finished ploughing high land for corn. Ploughed all the thick patches except the peach orchard, began that today. Began to plough the meadow / Sowed late peas / Ditto snap beans / Planted cucumber seed. Finished planting corn in first cut on hill next to Harveys, sowed in drill 482 lbs. beans there is 5 acres there. Garden inventory: Butterbeans, watermelon (sic.), Cymlin, cantelope (sic.), cabbage (about 1100 plants), peas, lettuce, strawberries - Corn in meadows (planted & replanted) Set out early York plants & other kind. (Type of cabbage) - Garden inventory: Pumpkins, beets, snap beans, potatoes Sheared sheep Planted peas and beans in each orchard planted the large square for late cabbages 15- or 1600 plants in the square.

1853 Dec. 2 15 22 Jan. 12 13 16 Mar. 17

1854 Mar. 23 28 Apr. 8 13 May 25 June July 10 17 6