Elsing Green
Encyclopedia
Elsing Green Plantation, a National Historic Landmark
and wildlife refuge
, rests upon nearly 3000 acres (1,214.1 ha) along the Pamunkey River
in King William County, Virginia
, a rural county on the western end of the state’s middle peninsula, approximately 33 miles (53.1 km) northeast of the City of Richmond
. The 18th-century plantation, now owned by the Lafferty family, has been in continuous operation for more than 300 years. In addition to the manor house, dependency buildings and cultivated land, Elsing Green includes 2454 acres (993.1 ha) of surrounding farmland, forest and marsh land. Elsing Green is also on the Virginia Landmarks Register and in the National Register of Historic Places.
Its history dates back nearly three centuries with ties to the West family of Lord Delaware
. The original structure, a brick Jacobean lodge now serving as the east dependency of the manor house, was built before 1690 by Colonel John West. It is said that Lord Delaware used the building as his hunting lodge, escaping to the King William woods by way of the Pamunkey River
.
destroyed many of the records detailing the history of Elsing Green, the Lafferty Foundation holds to what it believes as an accurate account of the plantation’s history.
The plantation was passed down through the West family after the death of Colonel John West in 1692. It eventually became associated with the Dandridge family of George Washington’s wife, Martha Custis
. It is said that Martha Custis Washington actually rode her horse through the house.
The Dandridges built the Queen Anne
manor house and kitchen house between 1715 and 1720. Carter Braxton
, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence
, bought the plantation in 1753.
The plantation, through several inheritances and purchases, was eventually sold in the 1930s to Beverly D. Causey, whose family took it upon themselves to restore the then degraded property and structures.
Nearly two decades later, the family of the current owners, purchased Elsing Green. In 1950, Edgar R. Lafferty, Jr., and his wife, Margaret, continued the restoration and expanded the plantation by adding previously purchased land adjacent to Elsing Green.
manor house is Flemish-bond brickwork, with its erection dating back to between 1715 and 1720. It is two-stories and U-shaped, with east and west wings jutting to the north. Doors on either side of the wing lead to a detached east dependency home (the original hunting lodge) and a west kitchen house. The Pamunkey River
lies just 250 yards (228.6 m) from the home.
In the home is 18th-century American and English furniture, including the “Surrender Table” on which the American and French negotiated terms of surrender with the English over the Battle of Yorktown of the American Revolutionary War
.
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
and wildlife refuge
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
, rests upon nearly 3000 acres (1,214.1 ha) along the Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
in King William County, Virginia
King William County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,846 households, and 3,784 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 5,189 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile...
, a rural county on the western end of the state’s middle peninsula, approximately 33 miles (53.1 km) northeast of the City of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The 18th-century plantation, now owned by the Lafferty family, has been in continuous operation for more than 300 years. In addition to the manor house, dependency buildings and cultivated land, Elsing Green includes 2454 acres (993.1 ha) of surrounding farmland, forest and marsh land. Elsing Green is also on the Virginia Landmarks Register and in the National Register of Historic Places.
Its history dates back nearly three centuries with ties to the West family of Lord Delaware
Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr
Thomas West, 3rd and 12th Baron De La Warr was the Englishman after whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, an American Indian people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named....
. The original structure, a brick Jacobean lodge now serving as the east dependency of the manor house, was built before 1690 by Colonel John West. It is said that Lord Delaware used the building as his hunting lodge, escaping to the King William woods by way of the Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
.
History
Although fire during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
destroyed many of the records detailing the history of Elsing Green, the Lafferty Foundation holds to what it believes as an accurate account of the plantation’s history.
The plantation was passed down through the West family after the death of Colonel John West in 1692. It eventually became associated with the Dandridge family of George Washington’s wife, Martha Custis
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
. It is said that Martha Custis Washington actually rode her horse through the house.
The Dandridges built the Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
manor house and kitchen house between 1715 and 1720. Carter Braxton
Carter Braxton
Carter Braxton was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, a planter, and a representative of Virginia....
, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
, bought the plantation in 1753.
The plantation, through several inheritances and purchases, was eventually sold in the 1930s to Beverly D. Causey, whose family took it upon themselves to restore the then degraded property and structures.
Nearly two decades later, the family of the current owners, purchased Elsing Green. In 1950, Edgar R. Lafferty, Jr., and his wife, Margaret, continued the restoration and expanded the plantation by adding previously purchased land adjacent to Elsing Green.
The Lafferty Foundation
The Lafferty family formed the Lafferty Foundation to help preserve and protect Elsing Green after Edgar Lafferty, Jr.’s death. The tax-exempt organization acquired the plantation after Edgar Lafferty, Jr.’s death. To further ensure its preservation, Lafferty granted historic preservation easements to the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.Architecture and furnishings
The exterior of the Queen AnneQueen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
manor house is Flemish-bond brickwork, with its erection dating back to between 1715 and 1720. It is two-stories and U-shaped, with east and west wings jutting to the north. Doors on either side of the wing lead to a detached east dependency home (the original hunting lodge) and a west kitchen house. The Pamunkey River
Pamunkey River
The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River, about long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
lies just 250 yards (228.6 m) from the home.
In the home is 18th-century American and English furniture, including the “Surrender Table” on which the American and French negotiated terms of surrender with the English over the Battle of Yorktown of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.