Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01


THD OLD wARRocK HOUSE.
The tract of land upon part of which
this old house stood was patented by
King George the Second 10 Loudwick
Warrock, father Of John WaTock. The
whole tract originally embraced several
SQUARES. which was sold off from time
20 time by heirs and legatees for build
ing purposes The house originally STOOD
partly on what what is now Ninteenth
street Franklin being merely country
road, and when Nineteenth street was
cut through the house was turned around
TO the position in which it has stood foi
many years. The western portion was
subsequently built. forming an L. az
appears In the picture. The old well
which supplied the house with water was
in Nineteenth street, and had 10 be
filed up. There were a few Inhabitants
In Richmond when the original War
rock patent was located; perhaps few
hundred whites. at most
All the territory west OF the present
ShOckOe creek was then virgin forest,
and was inhabited by all sorts OF game.
Coons were freed and bears shot upon
the SPOT where now stands the Capitol
and the square i'm which it Is located
Fifty years afterwards, say in 1870,
census showed Richmond TO have near
5000 inhabitants. In l78 Benedict Arnold
came 10 Richmond and burned up a part
Of il. Arnold also destroyed the coun-
~ records, then located at Varina, TO-
gether with Warrock's patent for the
land spoken Of Until the old Masonic
Hall was built, in 17S5, just below the
Warrock house. and on the opposite side
of the road, now Franklin street, there
were no other buildings in that nelghbor-
hood. Old Masonic records show that r.
17& n lot of ground, eighty feet front
on the "Back" street opposite Mrs War
rocks, was given for the erection of this
hall. The Mrs. Warrock spoken of was
the mother Of the founder of the almanac
Long after the street was named Frank
lin 1t continued TO be called Back
street by the old denizens Of that locali-
". The father OF John Warrock was
resident here before Richmond was
founded. He was a subject Of two Of
England's kings, and passed away two
years before the Declaration OF Independ-
ence. His old house has remained in
the ownership of some OF Mr.. Warrock's
heirs since his death till recently sold, as
stated, 10 the Second Presbyterian
church. 1t dates back more than a CEN
tury and half.
John Warrock learned the trade of
printer in the office Of the Petersburg In
telligencer. In 1913 he was elected printer
TO the Virginia Senate. He was a devoted
and enthusiastic Mason, and i'm 1914 and
1875 was master Of No. 10, his lodge lie
was honored and esteemed by ii TO the
day of his death. Mr. Warrock was a
Royal Arch Mason, and Past High Priest
Of Richmond Chapter, No. 8. lie passed
away March s. 1853 at the age Of eighty
four years and four months. few years
h 10 ha b frh
and had no use for spectacies. His only
ambition during a long and unobtrusive
life was 10 do right and faithfully perform
his duty in the restricted field I'm which
he labored. That he accomplished this
end is fully atIested by the respect shown
his memory at the close Of a long life.
Mr.. Warrock's remains and those OF one
daughter are buried in Shockoe-Hill
Cemetery; all tbs balance of his family
who died in this city are buried In old
st. Johns churoh-yard. AS Editor James
A. Cowardin. then of the Dispatch, said
of Mr. Warrock on the latter's death
1.-The craft may well emulate that regu-
larity and purity OF life which Were the
distinguishing traits Of his character"
Many years ago there was an old church
located on the corner below the Warrock
house. the same site on which was after
wards built William III. Grants tobacco
factory. Before the erection OF Grants
factory the old church was used for
number of years by Joseph Drinker as a
bakery. Mr.. Drinker will be remembered
as the owner OF the farm in Henrico on
which Jeter Phillips murdered his wife.
The present site Of Rlver-View Gene
terry. owned by the city. was formerly
known as Bankslown. A good many peo-
pie believe because remnants Of old DIV Eli
ings can still be discerned thereabout that
IL was the first place settled in or near
Richmond. This is an error. The first
settlement was at Rockets and TO the
east OF il. The present 81. Johns church
burying-ground was then called Indian
Hin. and was tenanted by section OF
noble red men. who probably owed allie
glance TO King Powhatan, and held his
estimabie daughter. Pocahortas. In proper
respect In the long ago Henry Banks
was an enterprising citizen of Richmond,
was known as a promoter, and was fully
up 10 all schemes calculated TO bsguile
into his own pockets the unwilling shekels
OF his fellow-setglers. In carrying out
some OF his schemes 10 make money he
had occasion to build series Of brick
tenements and perhaps warehouses In the
locality known as Banksiown. In time
tney went the way or other human en-
terprises. and were abandoned. such ma
terial as could be used being utilized else
where. Meanwhile Henry Banks, like his
projected settlement, had passed away.
The first mill OF Joseph Gallego was es-
tabilshed along the banks OF the canal, in
the vicinity OF Bankstown. and the same
may be said OF the mill OF Thomas Ruth
erfoord. the Scotch merchant-miller,
whose descendants are among our most
worthy and estimable citizens The brick
houses built on the locality referred 10 are
said 20 have been In reality built by
Banks for contractors, who had jobs wnh
the old James River and Kanawha Canal
Company.
An allusion has heretofore been made
In these letters 90 Hanover school, a post
revolutionary institute OF learning now