Rock Ford plantation
Encyclopedia
The Rock Ford Plantation or the General Edward Hand House is a historic house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on November 21, 1976. Edward Hand
was an adjutant general
to George Washington
during the American Revolutionary War
.
Hand bought the land on which the plantation was built in two transactions, first purchasing 160 acres (64.7 ha) in 1785 and later buying an additional 17 acres (6.9 ha) in 1792. The Georgian
-style brick mansion was built in 1794, and its architecture has since remained largely unchanged. All four floors conform to the same plan, a center hall and four corner rooms, as was typical of the period. The plantation stands on the banks of the Conestoga River
, one mile (1.6 km) south of the city of Lancaster
.
Today, the house is believed to be haunted by the ghost of General Hand's son, who allegedly committed suicide in the house around 1809.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. It was 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...
on November 21, 1976. Edward Hand
Edward Hand
-Early life and career:Hand was born in Clyduff, King's County, Ireland January 10, 1742, and was baptised in Shinrone. His father was John Hand. Among his immediate neighbours were the Kearney family, ancestors of U.S. President Barack Obamba [1]...
was an adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
to George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
during 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...
.
History
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
-style brick mansion was built in 1794, and its architecture has since remained largely unchanged. All four floors conform to the same plan, a center hall and four corner rooms, as was typical of the period. The plantation stands on the banks of the Conestoga River
Conestoga River
The Conestoga River, also referred to as Conestoga Creek, is a tributary of the Susquehanna River flowing through the center of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
, one mile (1.6 km) south of the city of Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
.
Today, the house is believed to be haunted by the ghost of General Hand's son, who allegedly committed suicide in the house around 1809.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster, PennsylvaniaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on National Register of Historic Places in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States...