Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Jb y 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Type all entries - complete applicable sections)

T S T A T E :

Virgin ia COUNTY.

Amel l a FOR NPS USE ONLY

E N T R Y NUMBER D A T E

-., , ,

C OMMON:

HawwJnanch AND/OR HISTORIC:

2, LOCATION P... . P.,

S T R E E T ANC NUMBER:

2 miles East of R t . 667, 1 mile ~ o r t h e a s t of intersection with R t . 681. C l T Y OR TOWN:

A m e l i n Vic in i ty (Watkina M. Abbitt, ~ o b r t h District Congressman) S T A T E

C O D E

Virginia 007 /&- CLASS1 FlCATlON

CATEGORY (Check One)

0 District 8uilding

Site Structure

Object

P P ,

OWNERSHIP

PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) \

Agricultural Government 'Pork Transportation Cornmints

0 Commercial Industrial Private Residence Other (~peci ty)

Mil i tary Educational Religious

Museum Entertainment Scientific

,,,, ,' - , , , , , -" ' '

STATUS

IXJ Occupied

Unoccupied

Preservation work I n progress

Public

a Private

Both

ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC

Yes:

a Restricted

Unrestricted

0 NO

Public Acquisition:

I n Prpcess

Baing Considered.

-

0" ?J

Z I 0 w c n

5 m 0 z r 4

1

14. OWNER OF PROPERTY -" ' '

OWNER'S NAME:

Mr. and Mrs. W. Cary McConnaughey S T R E E T AND NUMBER:

Hew Branch Plantation, Box 128

In

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b,

C I T Y OR TOWN: S T A T E :

IN EXISTING SURVEYS - , ' P.,, . , -... , .... T I T L E O F SURVEY:

Historic American Building Survey Inventory D A T E OF S U R V E Y : 1969 a Federal State County Local DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS:

' Library of Congress I

S T R E E T AND NUMBER:

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- A!e1% a__---- .. -- ---. - Virg in,b 23002 51 LOCAT ION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION - - ...I .-- u p . COURTHOUSE. R E G I S T R Y O F DEEDS. ETC:

, A m e l i a County Court Houee S T R E E T A N D NUMBER:

Washington

C I T Y OR TOWN:

Amel ia --

0 * -4 m

S T A T E

virgin&

- C O D E

51

RIPT TI ON I - --T-- (Check One)

Haw Branch p l a n t a t i o n , located above the hawthorne l ined stream of the same name, i s approached by a country road winding s e v e r a l miles through the woods. The house i s surrounded by c l ea red pas tu res and c u l t i v a t e d f i e l c which s lope t o the east. The exac t appearance of the o r i g i n a l s t r u c t u r e is not known, bu t apparen t ly i t was much smal l e r than the present l a r g e frame house. Por t ions of t h i s o r i g i n a l s t r u c t u r e a r e bel ieved t o be incorporated i n t o the present bu i ld ing which l a r g e l y d a t e s from the l a t e e igh teen th centul Formal i n p lan , t he c e n t r a l f ive-bay block wi th hipped roof and exter ior -end chimneys is f lanked by symmetrical three-bay wings wi th hipped roof s . The ground immediately surrounding the house is dug out t o a depth o f s e v e r a l f e e t and paved wi th br ick . The house's English basement is l a i d i n common bond below normal ground l e v e l and Flemish bond above. The walls above the b r i c k a r e covered wi th beaded clapboards. On the c e n t r a l block, rec tangular ornamental i n s e t s are employed on t h e south facade between the upper and lower windows. There a r e modil l ion co rn ices on both the c e n t r a l block and the wings. Two gabled dormers p r o j e c t from the sou th s lope and one from the nor th s lope of the c e n t r a l b lock ' s roof . There i s one dormer on the n o r t h s lope of each of the wing roofs . The basement windows have th ree Lights over six; a l l t h e o t h e r s a r e s ix-over-s ix and have a r c h i t r a v e t r i m wi th molded s i l l s . The windows over t h e n o r t h and sou th doorways have s ide - l i g h t s . Both doorways have a n e l l i p t i c a l f a n l i g h t , s i d e l i g h t s and engaged c o l u m s . The sou th doorway has tobacco leaves carved on t h e e n t a b l a t u r e immediately above the columns. A s ingle-bay porch topped by a Chinese l a t t i c e r a i l i n g s h e l t e r s the south doorway. The e n t i r e f i r s t f l o o r on the nor th s i d e i s s h e l t e r e d by a shed roof veranda.

The most s t r i k i n g f e a t u r e o f t h e i n t e r i o r of Haw Branch is t h e f i n e l y d e t a i l e d woodwork, thought t o have been i n s t a l l e d around 1815. I n the h a l l , e l l i p t i c a l a rches wi th a molded keystone and s t a r s i n r e l i e f spring from symmetrically molded p i l a s t e r s framing t h e nor th and south doorways and the d i v i s i o n i n the c e n t e r of t h e spacious h a l l . D e t a i l s of the p i l a s t e r s a r e repeated on the doorways leading t o t h e drawing rooms. Tobacco and oak l e a f mot i fs occur below t h e consoles on the h a l l ' s i n t e r i o r doorways. A d i s t i n c t i v e motif employed i n the double drawing rooms (one of which i s now used as t h e d i n i n g room) is the hawthorne blossom. I n the e a s t drawing room i t appears on the mantel and on the f r i e z e o f the doorway, where i t f lanks fes toons of drapery and an urn. The mantel i n the west room includes the hawthorne mot i f , urns , a c e n t r a l s t y l i z e d sunburs t flanked by small f l u t e d p i l a s t e r s topped by fes toons of drapery, and p i l a s t e r s with a s t r o n g Egyptian inf luence . The f r i e z e wer the doorway opening from the west Urawing room t o the h a l l employs the hawthorn blossom. I n the nor theas t leg o f the h a l l an open s t r i n g two-run s t a i r w i th turned b a l u s t e r s and brackets Bscends t o the second f l o o r . It is thought t h a t the one-run s tair t o the basement incorpora tes c e r t a i n elements of the o r i g i n a l stair which w a s removed when t h e i n t e r i o r w a s remodelled i n t h e e a r l y n ine teen th century. The sunburs t des ign f e a t u r e s prominently i n the wing room. A crown molding =orn ice and a c h a i r r a i l a r e employed i n a l l o f the rooms on t h i s f l o o r . Th booms on the second f l o o r and those i n the basement, inc luding the o r i g i n a l i i n i n g room, a r e much l e s s e l a b o r a t e , having simple unadorned t r i m on the

m n t e l s and doorways. To the n o r t h o f t h e house, t h e f irst row of an o r i g i n a l t h r e e rows

3f dependencies remains. These t h r e e bu i ld ings inc lude a s t r u c t u r e known as -

X7 E x c e l l e n t 0 Good 0 Foir Deteriorated 0 R u i n s U Unexposed CONDITION --

(Check Ono)

Unmltsrod

( chock One)

n Moved a Originel Site

DESCalBE T H E P R E S E N T A N D D R l C l N l L (11 S~OW~)PHISICAL A P P E A R A N C E

+ S I G N I F I C A N C E I P E R l O D (Check One orMors a. ~ ~ ~ r o p r l a h )

Pro-Columbion I 16th Century 18th Century 20th Century

15th Century 17th Century 19th,C.ntury

S P E C I F I C D A T E I S ) (11 Appl lcebls andKnown)

& R E I S O F 5 1 G N I F I C I N C E (Chockone 01 M0rs.a Approprl.le)

Aber iginal E d u e ~ t i o n Pol i t ical Urbon P l ~ n n i n g

Prehistoric Enginasrlnp Relipion/Phi. .m Other (Specify)

Historic 0 Industfy ~osophy Local h i s tory Agricul tun Invmntion Science

a Architosture Landscape Sculpture

[? Art Architastur. Soci.l/Hum.". Commerca Literature itorion

Communisotions Mditory Theater

Conservotion Music Transport.dion

T A T E M E N T O F S I G N I F I C A N C E

Haw Branch, the most s ign i f ican t Federal building ia Amelia County, is dist inguished by f ine ly de ta i led in te r iors . Although its s i z e and formality make it unusual in the provincial expression of t he s t y l e in the area. the Federal i n t e r io r s a r e the fea ture s ingl ing the s t ruc tu re out from its neighbors. For much of its h is tory , t h e house has been connected with t h e prominent Tabb and Mason famil ies , act ive i n s t a t e and national a f f a i r s , f r iends with such celebrated c i t i zens a5 John Randolph of Roanoke, a frequent v i s i t o r and a patron of the racecourse in the meadow e a s t of t h e house. This, the handsome ex te r ior , formal plan and finished in t e r io r s r a i s e Haw Branch t o an unique s t a t u s in Awl ia County.

Colonel Thomas Tabb purchased the nucleus of the land making up Haw Branch plantat ion in 1743. A small house, believed t o be incor- porated in the western pa r t of t he present house, appears in the record in 1748. The plantat ion grew, reaching 2700 acres by 1798. The house is thought t o have been enlarged and given its present ex t e r io r appear- ance by John Tabb a f t e r t he Revolutionary War. Marianna, daughter of John Tabb, married William Jones Barksdale, a par tner in Gallego M i l l s i n Richmond, then the l a rges t f l ou r m i l l in the U. S., in 1815. The present owners believe tha t the house was renovated and tha t the f i n e Federal i n t e r io r s were i n s t a l l ed a t t h a t time. Marianna Barksdale inherited Haw Branch from her fa ther . and l e f t it t o her daughter, Harriet . wife of John Y. Mason, Secretary of the Naq.under Presidento Tyler and Polk, and Attorney-General under Polk. The property remained in the Mason family u n t i l 1872. when it was purchased by a wealthy Englishman, M. M. Blacker, who operated the plantat ion a s a model and experimental farm. The long north porch was added during t h i s period. After 1903, t h e house passed through many hands until it was purchaaed and restored in 1965 by M r . and Mrs. W. Cory McConnaughry, the l a t t e r being a deocendant of Colonel hbb .

19. MAJOR BlBLlO

T '

! Mary Amstrong Jefferson, Old Homes and Buildings in A m s l i . %, --- -- Virginia, Amelia, Va.: Mary Jefferson, 1964.

1 Virginia Historic Landmark8 C-brion f i l e s .

-- ----.-

L A T I T U D E A N 0 L O N G I T U D E C O O R D I N 1 T E S

DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A P R O P E R ~ V O F L E I S T H A N T F N A C R E S

L A T I T U D E L A T I T U O L I LONG1 T U O E

D.pr..s Minutes Second. I Degrees Minut.. S.sonds

NW

NE

S E

$w

S T A T E :

S T A T E :

37 e 24 ' 50 . 37O 24' 50.. 37 24 ' 27 " 37 Q 24 - 27

I I -- I l i . FORM PREPARED BY -

Room 1116. Ninth St ree t S ta te Off ice Z C I T Y OR TOWN WI

A P P R O X I M A T E A C R E A G E OF NOMINATED P R O P E R T I . 98 acre@- - - - ,L IST A L L S T A T E S A N 0 C O U N T l E I FOR P R O P E R T l E I O V E R L A P P I N G S T A T E OR C O U N T Y BOUNDARIES

C O D E - C O D E -

XI

C

1 Richmond V w a 1 51 112. STATE LIAISON OFFICER CERTIFICAl ION ' 11 NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION

I . .

78 e 01 ' 48 " 78 ' 0 1 ' 1 0 " 78 01 ' 10 ' 78 01 clR

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N A M E A N D T l T L E

Virginia Histor ic Landmark8 Commission Staff

rn S T A T E .

rn

C O U N T Y :

C O U N T Y :

O R G A N I Z A T I O N

0

D A T E

Ak the des ignated Sta te Lia ison Officer for the Ne-

t ional His tor ic Preservat ion Act of 1966 (Pub l i c L a w

89-665). 1 hereby nominate t h i s property for inc lus lpn '

1 11 Date I

0

C O D E - C O D E -

Virginia Histor Lc Landmark3 Commission Septernber.1972 S T R E E T A N O N U M B E R

' <

I hereby cer t i fy that t h i s p o p r t y in included In t he

' National Re&iStsr.'

i n the Nat ional Regis ter and cer t i fy that i t has been

evaluated according to the.cri teria and ?roce&res set forth by the Nat!onal P a r k Service. The recommended

l eve l of s igni f icance of th is nomination is:

National State gl Local

I Name 1 ATTEST: I

z (I,

4

Chief , O f f i c e of Archsoloeq a n d Historic Preaervatlm

J. 8. Fishburne, Director

Keeper of The Netlmal Resister

Date Date I G P O 0 0 1 . 0 8 7

.

Form 1O.SOOo UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

N A T I O N A L R E G I S T E R O F H I S T O R I C P L A C E S

INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

(Continuation Sheet)

- - S T A T E

VIRGINIA COUNT"

AMELIA FOR NPS USE ONLY

E N T R V N Y U ~ E R D4TE

I (Nrnb., .I1 wlrl..)

a

7. - the l i t t l e school house, a rectangular building with a massive central chimney housing the kitchen and weaving room, and a smoke house on the eastern end o f the row. All a r e covered with white clapboards and have clipped gables.

G.P.H.

v xplnaa N A T I O N A L REGISTER O F HISTORIC P L A C E S IcouNTy

Form 10.301 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (Julr 19691 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

S T A T E .,,-~., I

Z [ I . NAME I i I

PROPERTY MAP FORM

(Type aJJ entries - attach to or enclose with map)

Amelia FOR NPS USE ONLY

ENTRY NUMBER D A T E

I

DC

I- V)

W DATE: 1958

m b. REQUIREMENTS

- W

TO B E I N C L U D E D ON A L L M A P S

1. Property broundaries where required.

2. North arrow.

3. Latitude end longitude reference.

(A. MAP REFERENCE I z I S O U R C E : I

Irmelia Vicinity

U. S. G. S . 15' quadrangle Jetersvi l le . Virginia S C A L E : 1:62500

-------------- -------------- --- UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

S T A T E

Virginia

N A T I O N A L REGISTER O F HISTORIC P L A C E S

CODE

007

P R O P E R T Y P H O T O G R A P H FORM

V) (Type all entries -at tach to or enclose with photograph)

-- S T A T E I

Virginia COUNT"

t ENTRY NUMBER I D A T E

. . . ........................... [I,: : : :.: ; . . . : . .;. . :::: .................. :::.:3 ... !: .................... ... ....:....... :..... .$ ,,.;,;,,:: :,:.. .: . : : ::.,,:, .: : . . . . . .

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---- v, I Virginia rn Arne l ia

13.' PHOTO REFERENCE

COMMON: Haw Branch * N D ~ O R HISTORIC:

2 miles East of R t . 667. 1 mile Northeast of intersection with R t . 681. c j r v on TOWN:

E

I-

- P H ~ T O CREDIT: Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission D A T E OF PHOTO: 1972

W E G A T l Y E F I L E D A T :

...... LOCATION ' . . : . . . . ::;,:"::;;,:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , i~,~~:~,;~~:,. ; j ; : : : , ; ;~j , i ;$;, :~~l. : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ::...: :ii:y::: , . . : ., . . : " ; . . . . . . . . . [STREET AND NUMBER:

Amelia Vicinity S T A T E : I ,-on= ICOUNTY: I CODE

I Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission: Richmond. V u W 14. IQENT IFICATIOE,

V) D E S C R I B E V I E W . D I R E C T I O N . E T C .

V i e w from the south.

G P O 921 -731

VIRGINIA :AL RESOURCES TATE GEOLOGIST

JETERSVILLE QUADRANGLE 8'

VIRGINIA +,$

of.? 15 M I N U T E S E H I E S (TOPOGRAPHIC)