USA > Virginia > A history of the valley of Virginia, 3rd ed > Part 38
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CULTURE OF SILK.
ยท The excellent lady of Mr. Amos Lupton, residing within two
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and-a-half mies of Winchester, has met with very encouraging suc- cess in her efforts at producing silk from the cultivation of the trees and the domestication of all the worm. She exhibited to the au- thor several pair of hose she had manufactured from this silk, and stating her intention of having the residue of the raw material spun, and wove into articles of wearing apparel. A hired woman, mean- time, was employed in spinning the silk from the cocoons upon the common flax-wheel, and really made considerable headway in her delicate task. We hope that Mrs. Lupton will persevere in the en- terprise; for we cannot but believe that our soil and climate are both well adapted for the culture of silk. Mr. Lupton has been completely successful in the raising of the Morus Multicaulis, the plants having grown very thrifty.
HYBRIDOUS.
An animal was begotten between a buck and a young cow about twenty years ago. The extraordinary and beautiful animal was produced in the neighborhood of Zane's Old Furnace. The owner intended selling it to a butcher to make a veal of it; but the late Maj. Bean purchased it, and intended to raise it by hand. He kept it several weeks, but it died, and with it the hopes of Mr. Bean and many of the neighbors. Mr. Bean flattered himself with high expectations of having in his possession one of the most rare, beauti- ful, and extraordinary curiosities in nature's work. The author did not get the opportunity of seeing this singular creature, but several of his neighbors visited Mr. Bean for the express purpose of viewing it, who reported the facts to the writer of this narrative. It was said to exhibit the head, neck, shoulders and forelegs of its sire, and hinder parts that of the dam, and promised to grow to pretty good size. It was a male.
The author saw the skin of a double calf in the neighborhood of Luray. The hide was carefully taken off and stuffed. It had a double body, two distinct heads, and two tails, four perfect eyes, and but four legs. This singular extra natural production was in pos- session of Capt. John Gatewood, jr.
A COW OF SIX LEGS.
Fifteen or sixteen years ago the late Samuel G. Sydnor owned a cow with six perfectly formed legs, which the author frequently saw. It had two extra legs formed on the shoulders, and when it walked these legs made regular motions. They hung over on each side, and were much smaller than the other legs.
SPLENDID IMPROVED FARM.
Bushrod B. Washington, Esq., a few years ago erected a very
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large brick dwelling house, in the neighborhood of Charlestown, Jefferson county, with all the necessary offices. This building with other improvements cost upwards of thirty thousand dollars.
The building was finished in the most tasteful style of modern architecture ; but unfortunately, some two or three years ago, it ac- cidentally took fire ; and all the interior works were consumed. But the writer is informed Mr. Washington has lately rebuilt it. The author obtained a sketch of its dimensions, but has unfortunately mislaid. the memorandum. Suffice it to say, it is one of the largest and most elegant edifices in our country.
Judge Henry St. G. Tucker has erected in the neighborhood of Leetown a most splendid stone building, rough cast, finished in beautiful style, three stories high ; but the writer does not recollect the exact size of the edifice, but it is a very large building. Jeffer- son county contains a great number of fine large dwelling houses, with other capital improvements. In the County of Clarke, David H. Allen, Esq., has lately erected a brick dwelling on a beautiful eminence, from which there is a most enchanting view of the Blue Ridge and adjacent country. It is sixty-six feet by fifty, with a splendid portico, supported by a beautiful colonade twenty-five feet high of solid pine pillars.
In front of the house is an extended lawn, partly covered with a sheet of transparent water, which adds greatly to the novelty and beauty of the scenery. Mr. Allen informed the writer, that some years ago the water course contained much dark alluvian mud, on each side, very miry and difficult to cross. He hauled out six thou- sand wagon loads of the mud upon the adjoining high lands, which so increased the fertility, that, for several years it was too rich for the production of wheat.
Mr. Allen is pretty extensively engaged in the stock way. A few years ago, he at one time owned one hundred and twenty head of horses, and a large stock of improved black cattle, sheep and hogs. Mr. Allen was bred to the law, but having married the daughter of the late Col. Griffin Taylor, got this fine estate by her ; and his father being also wealthy, he also abandoned the practice, and lived a re- tired and private life ever since.
Edward Jaquline Smith, Esq., has built a fine brick dwelling house, large and tastefully finished, on an extensive farm in the same neighborhood. He is a most judicious and successful farmer.
Col. J. W. Ware has erected a fine large brick building near Mr. Smith's, is also a successful farmer, is remarkable for breeding the very finest cattle ; and his stable has been the stand for several years, of the very finest horses which have been imported into our country.
Col. Joseph Tuly, in the County of Clarke, has built a most splendid and expensive mansion on his beautiful farm in the neigh- borhood of Millwood, which he has named "Tulyries." To give a detailed account of this fine building would be tedious and perhaps
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tiresome to the reader. It is sufficient to say that this edifice is sixty feet by forty, of the best of brick, finished from the base to the attic in the most elegant style of modern architecture, and is covered with tin. A spacious portico, supported underneath with massive slabs, with pillars of solid pine, twenty-eight feet high, supporting the roof, forming a most beautiful colonade, based on square marble blocks ; the porch floor laid with white marble, and marble steps ; a spacious entry ; a spiral stairway running from the passage to the summit, on which there is a handsome cupola with a large brass ball erected ; the fire-places decorated with the finest marble mantles ; his doors and windows of the best mahogany ; with a green house in which there is sheltered a great variety of the richest exotic plants and flowers ; the yard decorated with a great variety of native and imported trees and shrubbery, with several orange trees which bear fruit handsomely. Adjoining the yard, an extensive park is enclosed in the forest, within which enclosure there are a large num- ber of native elks and deer. The old buck elk will not suffer any stranger to intrude on his premises. Col. Tuly's father was born and raised in the State of New Jersey, learned the trade of tanner, came to Virginia a young man, commenced business on a small capi- tal, and amassed a very considerable estate, the greater part of which he devised to his only son Joseph. The Col. carries on the tanning business extensively, and has added considerably to the estate left him by his father. He farms extensively and successfully, and largely in the stock way.
Mr. John Kerfoot, twenty-five or thirty years ago, built a large, comfortable brick dwelling, finished in plain style, with most of his offices and all his slaves' houses of the same material. In approachi- ing his residence it strikes the eye of the stranger as a sprightly vil- lage. Mr. Kerfoot is beyond question one of the most enterprising, judicious, and successful farmers in our section of country. He has acquired more wealth by his agricultural pursuits, than any indi- vidual with the author's knowledge ; has raised a large family of sons and daughters, and provided handsomely for them all ; has given each of his sons fine farms and every necessary to commence business. His daughters as they have married and left him have each of them been handsomely portioned off. Mr. Kerfoot is, and has been for many years a member of the Baptist church, a liberal, consistent and most worthy member. He is rigidly punctual in his pecuniary engagements ; it is said of him that he was never known to fail in a single instance to pay or fulfill any engagement he has entered into. Thus coming up to the golden gospel rule of "doing to others as he would they should do unto him."
Mr. John Richardson is now the owner of the fine tract of land formerly owned by, and the residence of the late, Col. Warner Wash- ington, called " Fairfield," on which he has established an exten- sive distillery. The house is built of brick, attached to which a large yard is enclosed and nicely floored with the same material, for
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the purpose of raising and fattening pork. About every two months he sends off to the Baltimore market from eighty to one hundred head of finely fattened hogs. Mr. Richardson is a man of great in- dustry and enterprise, farms extensively, and raises a fine stock of improved cattle. He, like many of our citizens, is the builder of his own fortune, having commenced on a very small capital.
The Rev. Thomas Kennerly has lately erected a beautiful, plain, extensive brick mansion at "Greenway Court," the ancient resi- dence of the late Lord Fairfax, now in the County of Clarke, near the White Post village. James Madison Hite, Esq., resides in an elegant brick mansion, contiguous to the stone bridge.
Doctor James Hay has lately built in the same neighborhood a truly splendid edifice of considerable size and finished in the most elegant manner.
Doctor Berkeley, previous to his death, was engaged in erect- ing a brick house near the Shenandoah, of very extensive dimen- sions, but before he had finished it he was most cruelly murdered by his slaves, and his body consumed in a most tremendous fire. He was robbed of a large sum of money by them, which they scattered about among their confederates, part of which was found; but it was said at the time, that a considerable part of it was lost. John Rust, Esq., has lately purchased a part of Doctor Berkeley's estate, including this fine building, which he has had finished in plain neat style.
Doctor Berkeley was killed in 1818. Three of his slaves, one female and two males, were tried and convicted of the murder, in Frederick court, and all three executed at Winchester, in the month of July, 1818. The representatives of the Doctor obtained an act of assembly, authorizing them to sell off a number of the slaves who were suspected with being concerned in the murder, and they were sent to the South and sold. The estate now lies in the County of Warren.
Capt. Robert C. Burwell, just before the late war, erected an ele- gant brick mansion in the neighborhood of Millwood. At the com- mencement of the war he commanded a company of the militia, and marched at the head of his company, and joined the standard of his country at Norfolk. He fell a sacrifice to that unhealthy climate and died.
Previously to leaving home, he provided his last will, which he devised his fine estate to Philip Nelson, Esq., who married his sis- ter, and now owns this elegant property.
The late Col. Charles Magill commenced, shortly before his death, on his fine farm about five miles south of Winchester, a very large brick dwelling, but died before it was finished. Since his death it has been finished, and now is the residence of John S. Ma- gill, Esq., one of his sons.
Mr. William A. Carter is now erecting a splendid brick dwell- ing, about two miles west of Newtown, Stephensburg, on a beauti-
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ful eminence which commands a most fasinating view of this village, the adjacent country and mountains east and west, for a vast dis- tance. It is covered with English slate.
Joseph Neill, Esq., has erected a beautiful brick dwelling at the north end of N. T. Stephensburg, plastered and neatly whitened on the outside. His neat little farm on which the buildings are erected adjoins the village.
Mr. Isaac Hollingsworth has erected a splendid brick dwelling near Winchester, contiguous to his fine mills, his yard and curtilages handsomely enclosed with first rate stone walls.
There are a number of other brick dwelling houses in the several counties named, exclusively of those particularly mentioned ; and there are a considerable number of fine large stone buildings.
The residence of George H. Burwell, Esq., is most splendidly improved with stone buildings. It adjoins the village of Millwood, called "Carter Hall." The main building is sixty-six feet by thirty, three stories ; with a wing at each end, twenty-one feet long, two stories high ; the whole building finished in the most tasteful style of modern architecture. This was the former residence of the late Col. Nathaniel Burwell, a gentleman of great wealth. The build- ing stands on a beautiful eminence, and command a delightful view of the Blue Ridge and the adjacent neighborhood. The water is conveyed by force pumps from a fine spring to the dwelling house, yards and stable, at a distance of about three hundred yards. This fine farm may with truth be said to be among the most elegantly im- proved estates west of the Blue Ridge.
Maj. Seth Mason has lately built a spacious stone dwelling, stone barn and stable, on the waters of Crooked Run, in the Coun- ty of Frederick. The buildings are erected on a beautiful eminence. and command a fine view of the Blue Ridge a vast distance. From the Major's yard about one hundred farms are to be seen in full re- lief on the west side of the mountain.
Capt. Phenias Bowen has lately erected a stone dwelling, three stores high, near the Opequon, in Clarke county. The writer never obtained .he exact dimensions of this building ; but it is very large, and covered with tin. It is not finished.
The late Maj. Isaac Hite, on his fine large farm, about the year 1792, built a stone dwelling, near the great highwayfrom Winches- ter to Staunton ; a most spacious and elegant building west of the Blue Ridge. In point of taste, and beauty of symmetry, it is cer- tainly not exceeded by any country building the author has ever seen. It still stands to be admired by every beholder.
In the County of Shenandoah, the late Messrs. Isaac Bowman, Joseph Stover and Anthony Spengler, severally built large brick dwellings, but a short distance from Strasburg, each on a fine large farm. It is hardly deemed necessary for the author to proceed with a further detail of particular dwelling houses. It would require a large volume to contain an account of all the fine dwellings in our val-
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ley. It is presumed that a sufficient number has been described to enable the reader to from an estimate of the vast improvement of our country within the last forty years. It is sufficient to say that many counties in the valley are equally well improved.
The great number of first rate merchant mills and factories de- serve some particular notice, but it would swell this publication far beyond all reasonable limits to attempt a detail. The author will therefore content himself, and he hopes the reader will be content to have a brief description of Mr. Valentine Rhode's mill on Cedar Creek, the dividing line been Frederick and Shenandoah counties. The author is induced to give a passing notice to the building from the extraordinary and unparalleled labor performed by Rhodes, with the assistance of one of his sons, a youth of about twelve or fourteen years of age, in its construction and erection. Mr. Rhodes informed the author, that when he had purchased and paid for the site, in- cluding a small tract of land, for which he paid in advance, he had no more than ten dollars left. Mr. Rhodes is an ingenious me- chanic and first rate mill-wright. He determined, however, on building his mill ; to enable himself to go on with it, that he would undertake every job at his trade that he could engage, and if he earned eighty or one hundred dollars, he would proceed with his own building until his money gave out ; he would then engage in work as opportunity afforded until he could gather one or two hun- dred dollars more, and so proceeded on, until he got his mill to run- ning. It was six years from the time he commenced until he got it to grinding.
But the most extraordinary, and the writer may truly say, wou- derful circumstance attending this building, is the immense weight of stone and timbers used in its construction. The first story is built of stone of enormous size and weight, several of which are seven or eight feet long and fifteen or eighteen inches thick, doubtless weigh- ing several tons each, all of which Mr. Rhodes worked into the walls with his own personal labor. The only machine he used was the mill screw. The wall on the west side is at least five feet thick, and no part less than three. The first part of the mill-house was twenty-eight feet square, or perhaps thirty, to which he added an- other building fifty feet in length and thirty in width, stretching across the entire stream, excepting a small arm of the water-course forming a small island, on which the first building is erected. The south end of the building juts against a solid perpendicular limestone rock twenty-five or thirty feet high, which form one of the walls ; nature has formed niches in this, which receive the ends of timbers fifty feet long and from ten to twelve inches square, which Mr. Rhodes raised and put into place with the aid of his son and mill- screw, one end resting on the wall of the first building and the other inserted in the natural niches in the stone wall. These powerful timbers are elevated about ten feet above the waters. He receives his customers' grain, at each end of his mill ; so that it may be said
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it stands in the two counties. It is doubtful whether a similar in- stance of extraordinary exertion, enterprise and successful persever- ance can be found in our country.
Mr. Rhodes certainly deserves a premium for his wonderful diligence and successful enterprise and perseverance in the construc- tion of this extraordinary building. There have been several floods in the Creek since the mill was erected ; but the immense strength of the dam and walls has heretofore resisted the force of the waters, and the mill sustained no injury.
CHURCHES.
The Episcopal society have within a few years past erected several beautiful houses of worship; one at Berryville, one at Mill- wood, one in Winchester, (the latter a truly splendid building, with first-rate organ), and another at Middletown, which is also a beauti- ful and chaste structure, and is truly creditable to the society. The writer heard a minister of the gospel express the opinion, that it presented to the eye precisely what a church edifice ought to ex- hibit, i. e., a ray of truth. The Roman Catholic Society have erected several chapels in several places. They have built a superb edifice at Harper's Ferry, with a beautiful pulpit, with the image of the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus in her lap.
HARPER'S FERRY.
It is scarcely necessary to inform the reader that this is the lo- cation of the United States armory, and in the several shops are generally employed about three hundred first-rate mechanics, en- gaged in the manufacture of arms for the purpose of war. There are annually made about six or seven thousand muskets, two or three thousand rifles, besides an immense number of swords, pistols. and other side arms. The government employs at this establishment a superintendent-general, a paymaster and a number of clerks. The quantity of iron, steel, brass and other materials annually wrought up, is immense. A vast number of strangers annually visit this place to gratify their curiosity in seeing and inspecting the public works and great mechanical operations, so extensively carried on. The machinery of the musket factory is wrought by the waters of the Potomac, and that of the rifle factory by the waters of the Shenandoah.
This site for the public works it is said was first marked out or recommended by the immortal Washington, and is certainly evi- dence of his superior skill and judgment in all military matters.
A railroad from Winchester to Harper's Ferry has been lately constructed, which has rendered Winchester a place of deposit for the vast products of our valley, but little inferior to some of our sea-
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port towns. A turnpike road from Winchester to Parkersburg, on the Ohio River, a distance of about two hundred and eighty miles, has lately been finished ; and another McAdamized turnpike road from Winchester to Staunton, has just been put into operation, and it is almost inconceivable what vast quantities of produce, now find a ready way to Baltimore from the increased facilities of our im- proved roads to that market.
An improved road from Staunton across the Alleghany Moun- tains, is now going on to Parkersburg, which will still add great facilities to valley trade to greatly enchance the value of real estate in Western Virginia. There is also a turnpike from Harrisonburg by way of the Warm Springs, Hot Springs and White Sulphur, across the Alleghany and Whyandotte, by way of Kanawha. These sev- eral turnpikes are passable at all seasons of the year, and greatly ex- pedited the passenger's journey from east to west. These several turnpikes have been made at vast expense to the State and Stock- holders, notwithstanding which, improvements are still going on. A few years more and Western Virginia will vie with our northern and sister States with her vast improvements. Our valley is mak- ing great improvement and very great improvements of every agri- cultural pursuit. Copying after our great and good countryman, Washington, immense improvements have already been made, and are still making, in the rearing of fine animals of every variety. Stage coaches travel all our turnpike roads, drawn by the most splen- did horses ; and most of our substantial farmers rare the finest cattle, sheep and hogs, and are greatly improving the fertility of their lands. Our valley furnishes the several markets with vast quantities of su- perior beef, pork, mutton, butter and the finest of breadstuffs. The quantities of oats annually raised for market are incalculable. Im- mense crops of the finest timothy, clover, and orchard grass hay, and corn fodder are annually consumed by our farmer's stock ; and not- withstanding the vast quantities raised, once in awhile there are sea- sons of great scarcity of provender for sustaining the vast stock of animals kept on hand.
Our winters are frequently of great length and extremely severe. The author will here notice one winter which was re- markable for its long and excessive severity. When a youth, he frequently met with individuals who well recollected the hard winter in the year of 1740. It was said that that remarkable winter produced the greatest depth of snow ever known in our climate. The snow fell to such an immense depth as to smother vast numbers of horned cattle, sheep, hogs, deer, and many other wild animals.
The author believes that it will not be uninteresting to the reader to have a brief description of several remarkable works of nature in our valley, together with a notice of some elegant build- ings and improvements on the farms of 'private individuals. He will begin with
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JEFFERSON COUNTY.
WASHINGTON'S MASONIC CAVE .- About two and-a-half miles southeast of Charlestown in this county is to be seen in this cavern. Tradition informs us that Gen. Washington and a number of other gentlemen formed themselves into a Masonic Society and held their lodges in this cavern. The writer saw and partially explored it. It is not an extensive cavern, and is more remarkable from the fact of its having been used as a lodge room by Washington and members. It however has several different departments. The author was not able to get into the lodge room. The entrance to which is quite
low and narrow. The proprietor, Mr. Clark, informed the author that Washington's name, with the names of several others of the lodge, is inscribed in the face of the rocks in the lodge room. A rock of very hard stone, which lies near a very fine lime spring conveni- ent to the cave, has several inscriptions on it. The letters are the plain Roman character ; but the author could not explain the mean- ing. They are probably masonic enigmas.
Having introduced the name "Washington," through a digres- sion from the general subject, it will be well enough to notice sever- al important anecdotes in the history of that great, heaven protected man, which the writer has lieard from respectable authority.
The late Maj. Lawrence Lewis, a favorite nephew of Washing- ton's, and who resided with him at " Mount Vernon," for several years, related the following remarkable anecdote of his uncle. In the battle fought between Braddock and the Indians, it is well known. Washington acted as one of Braddock's aids. After the battle, Daniel Craig, then of Winchester, but afterwards settled in Alexandria, became acquainted with Redhawk, a distinguished young Indian warror. In a conversation with the Doct., Redhawk inquired what young officer (who was mounted on a fine young horse) it was, who rode with great rapidity from post to post, dur- ing the action. The Doct. replied Col. Washington. Redhawk immediately stated, " I fired eleven deliberate shots at that man, but could not touch him. I gave over any further attempt, believing he was protected by the great Spirit, and could not be killed by a bul- let." Redhawk further added, that is gun was never known to miss its aim before.
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