Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation
Encyclopedia
Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation is a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in Charles City County, Virginia
. The scale and character of the collection of domestic architecture at this site recalls the vernacular architectural traditions of the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries along the James River
. These frame structures of the common planters were in contrast to the elaborate brick residences of the wealthiest families along the James River. Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation is located on the high ridge of land to the north of the river, in an area of smaller plantations with more modest homes.
. The plantation
site is located near the Mattahunk village site and the trail known as Necotowance's Path. During the late eighteenth century, the 300 acres (121.4 ha) plantation was one of the many seats of the Southall family. Other Southall family properties in Charles City County included Mt. Airy, Milton and Vaughn’s. In Henrico County were located the Southall homes of Chatsworth, Reveille, Westham and in Warwick County was located Young’s Island.
The original portion of the Piney Grove house was constructed as a log corn crib on the Southall plantation before 1790. It survives as a rare and well-preserved example of early log architecture in Tidewater Virginia. During the second quarter of the eighteenth century, Furneau Southall served as deputy-sheriff of Charles City County, under Otway Byrd, son of William Byrd III
of Westover Plantation
. During the American Revolution
, Southall served on the Charles City County Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
with John Tyler of Greenway, father of President John Tyler
of Woodburn and Sherwood Forest Plantation
. Southall also held a captainship of one of the Charles City County companies under Benjamin Harrison V
of Berkeley Plantation
.
Southall administered the first U.S. Census locally in 1790. During the late eighteenth century, residents of the plantation included Furneau Southall, his wife and seven children, as well as sixteen slaves: Amy, Bess, Bristol, Critty, Dick, Dublin, Jack, Kate, Lucky, Nutty, Patsey, Pompy, Peter, Rippons, Rose and Silvia. The personal property tax lists document the plantation furnishings, library, and livestock.
The plantation
was held by the Southall family until 1857, when Furneau’s grandson, John Seth Stubblefield sold a portion of the plantation to Edmund Archer Saunders. This portion of the property included the log corn crib, which by 1857 had been converted and enlarged for use as a store. Under Saunder's ownership, the rural general merchandise business became known as Piney Grove Store.
Following the American Civil War
, Saunders moved to Richmond and became a successful wholesale grocer. He became a major landowner in Charles City County, purchasing properties such as Indian Fields, Weyanoke and Upper Shirley. A gift of E. A. Saunders, a handsome stone baptismal font, remains in use at Westover Church. A portrait of Saunders hangs in the drawing room of Evelynton Plantation
, the home built by his granddaughter Mary Ball Saunders Ruffin and her husband.
Thomas Fletcher Harwood operated Piney Grove Store from 1874 until 1915. In 1905 he enlarged and transformed the store building into a five-bedroom home. During Harwood's ownership, the property also included the office of his son, Dr. Ashton Harwood. The Harwood Family children's cemetery, with elaborate cast-iron fencing produced by the Cincinnati Ironworks, is located on the grounds.
From 1916 until 1984, Piney Grove belonged to the Hughes family. After purchase in 1984, the Gordineer family began the five-year restoration of the house. Original outbuildings include a smokehouse, chicken house, a small pole shed and large pole shed for farm equipment. Hughes family photographs document a large barn, small barn and dairy no longer standing. The archaeological remains of Dr. Harwood's office survive just northwest of the large pole shed.
Piney Grove is now furnished with a collection of antiques and artifacts that chronicle the history of the property, as well as family antiques that descend in the Gordineer family through a Canadian branch of the family, the descendents of Judge Edward Bowen of Quebec, Canada. Bowen portraits include Edward Bowen, Isabella Cassan Bowen and Isabella Bowen Hyndman.
The grounds include a unique collection of folk architecture moved to Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation to be spared from demolition at their original sites. These buildings are Ashland (built 1835 in James City County, Virginia
); Dower Quarter (built 1835, Henrico County, Virginia
); Ladysmith (built 1857, Caroline County, Virginia
); Duck Church (built 1917, Dare County, North Carolina
); Pocahontas Tea House Outhouse (built ca. 1930, Henrico County) and Peace Hill Smokehouse (built ca. 1920, Charles City County, Virginia). The grounds also include a reproduction of the Lanexa Farmstand (built ca. 1940, James City County, Virginia).
The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The grounds are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, and guided tours of the house are available daily by appointment. Historic bed and breakfast lodging is available in the Ladysmith house on the property. The property is an official site of the Virginia Civil War Trails, Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, Virginia Time Travelers Program, Jamestown Discovery Trail and National Register "James River Plantations" Travel Itinerary.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in Charles City County, Virginia
Charles City County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,926 people, 2,670 households, and 1,975 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 2,895 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
. The scale and character of the collection of domestic architecture at this site recalls the vernacular architectural traditions of the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries along the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
. These frame structures of the common planters were in contrast to the elaborate brick residences of the wealthiest families along the James River. Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation is located on the high ridge of land to the north of the river, in an area of smaller plantations with more modest homes.
History
Before English settlement in the seventeenth century, the Southall plantation site in Charles City County was the homeland of the Chickahominy (tribe)Chickahominy (tribe)
The Chickahominy are a tribe of Virginia Indians who primarily live in Charles City County midway between Richmond and Williamsburg in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This area is not far from where they lived in 1600....
. The plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
site is located near the Mattahunk village site and the trail known as Necotowance's Path. During the late eighteenth century, the 300 acres (121.4 ha) plantation was one of the many seats of the Southall family. Other Southall family properties in Charles City County included Mt. Airy, Milton and Vaughn’s. In Henrico County were located the Southall homes of Chatsworth, Reveille, Westham and in Warwick County was located Young’s Island.
The original portion of the Piney Grove house was constructed as a log corn crib on the Southall plantation before 1790. It survives as a rare and well-preserved example of early log architecture in Tidewater Virginia. During the second quarter of the eighteenth century, Furneau Southall served as deputy-sheriff of Charles City County, under Otway Byrd, son of William Byrd III
William Byrd III
William Byrd III was the son of William Byrd II and the grandson of William Byrd I. He inherited his family's land in Virginia and continued their planter prestige as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.He chose to fight in the French and Indian War rather than spend much time in Richmond...
of Westover Plantation
Westover Plantation
Westover Plantation is located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located south of State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg...
. During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Southall served on the Charles City County Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
with John Tyler of Greenway, father of President John Tyler
John Tyler
John Tyler was the tenth President of the United States . A native of Virginia, Tyler served as a state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and U.S. senator before being elected Vice President . He was the first to succeed to the office of President following the death of a predecessor...
of Woodburn and Sherwood Forest Plantation
Sherwood Forest Plantation
Sherwood Forest Plantation, also known as John Tyler House, is located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located on State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg...
. Southall also held a captainship of one of the Charles City County companies under Benjamin Harrison V
Benjamin Harrison V
Benjamin Harrison V was an American planter and revolutionary leader from Charles City County, Virginia. He earned his higher education at the College of William and Mary, and he was perhaps the first figure in the Harrison family to gain national attention...
of Berkeley Plantation
Berkeley Plantation
Berkeley Plantation, one of the first great estates in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred and named after one of its founders of the 1618 land grant, Richard Berkeley...
.
Southall administered the first U.S. Census locally in 1790. During the late eighteenth century, residents of the plantation included Furneau Southall, his wife and seven children, as well as sixteen slaves: Amy, Bess, Bristol, Critty, Dick, Dublin, Jack, Kate, Lucky, Nutty, Patsey, Pompy, Peter, Rippons, Rose and Silvia. The personal property tax lists document the plantation furnishings, library, and livestock.
The plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
was held by the Southall family until 1857, when Furneau’s grandson, John Seth Stubblefield sold a portion of the plantation to Edmund Archer Saunders. This portion of the property included the log corn crib, which by 1857 had been converted and enlarged for use as a store. Under Saunder's ownership, the rural general merchandise business became known as Piney Grove Store.
Following the American Civil War
American 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...
, Saunders moved to Richmond and became a successful wholesale grocer. He became a major landowner in Charles City County, purchasing properties such as Indian Fields, Weyanoke and Upper Shirley. A gift of E. A. Saunders, a handsome stone baptismal font, remains in use at Westover Church. A portrait of Saunders hangs in the drawing room of Evelynton Plantation
Evelynton Plantation
Evelynton Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located along State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg. Evelynton is listed on the National Register of Historic...
, the home built by his granddaughter Mary Ball Saunders Ruffin and her husband.
Thomas Fletcher Harwood operated Piney Grove Store from 1874 until 1915. In 1905 he enlarged and transformed the store building into a five-bedroom home. During Harwood's ownership, the property also included the office of his son, Dr. Ashton Harwood. The Harwood Family children's cemetery, with elaborate cast-iron fencing produced by the Cincinnati Ironworks, is located on the grounds.
From 1916 until 1984, Piney Grove belonged to the Hughes family. After purchase in 1984, the Gordineer family began the five-year restoration of the house. Original outbuildings include a smokehouse, chicken house, a small pole shed and large pole shed for farm equipment. Hughes family photographs document a large barn, small barn and dairy no longer standing. The archaeological remains of Dr. Harwood's office survive just northwest of the large pole shed.
Piney Grove is now furnished with a collection of antiques and artifacts that chronicle the history of the property, as well as family antiques that descend in the Gordineer family through a Canadian branch of the family, the descendents of Judge Edward Bowen of Quebec, Canada. Bowen portraits include Edward Bowen, Isabella Cassan Bowen and Isabella Bowen Hyndman.
The grounds include a unique collection of folk architecture moved to Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation to be spared from demolition at their original sites. These buildings are Ashland (built 1835 in James City County, Virginia
James City County, Virginia
James City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 67,009 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the...
); Dower Quarter (built 1835, Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
); Ladysmith (built 1857, Caroline County, Virginia
Caroline County, Virginia
Caroline County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 28,545. Its county seat is Bowling Green. Caroline County is also home to The Meadow stables, the birthplace of the renowned racehorse Secretariat, winner of the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and...
); Duck Church (built 1917, Dare County, North Carolina
Dare County, North Carolina
-National protected areas:* Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge * Cape Hatteras National Seashore * Fort Raleigh National Historic Site* Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge* Wright Brothers National Memorial-Demographics:...
); Pocahontas Tea House Outhouse (built ca. 1930, Henrico County) and Peace Hill Smokehouse (built ca. 1920, Charles City County, Virginia). The grounds also include a reproduction of the Lanexa Farmstand (built ca. 1940, James City County, Virginia).
The complex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The grounds are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, and guided tours of the house are available daily by appointment. Historic bed and breakfast lodging is available in the Ladysmith house on the property. The property is an official site of the Virginia Civil War Trails, Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, Virginia Time Travelers Program, Jamestown Discovery Trail and National Register "James River Plantations" Travel Itinerary.
External links
- Official Site
- "Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation", National Park Service, National Register Travel Itinerary
- "Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation", Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail