The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-20
.vIRG|N|AN.B
BERKELEY {: | |: | ESTATE Il.
Historic Old James River Manor
Sold Yesterday to8N[r. John "a.
n 3i55 M. Willis.
HISTORY Of THE Pr 0PERTY
lie Splendid Odd Mansion and.
Plantation Brought $4,000
at&Auction# sale Il e n.

Il - III
Berkeley, tho historic birthplace Of
President, Harrison in Charles city coun.
" on the James slslver, was yesterday
sold TO Mr.. y. Af.lNvtlis. OF Hampton, ROT
so2,50o, II Tho sale was IN accordance with
u decree Of tlios Chnhcerya Court OF Charles
City county,$nrd M essrs. Henry g. Whip.
pic, OF New Y orli, md j ohn a. Lamb, Of
Richmond, were tho commissioners
| named In tho decree. SIS
| rho sale! was largely attended ana there
were two bidders from Richmond. Mr..
-. a. Saunders was ono o ftho II cli-
monitors VINO sought to purchase inc
property Several prospective buyers from
New ~ DIRK, two from Petersburg, lrec
from Newport Ncws and two or tlireo
FROM Norfolk were ut the saIc. Tho first
bid was $4,000 and from tho start tho
bidding was brisk.
Mr. Willis, who purchased the property
at the price named, contcmplltcs lis
posing Of tho timer on the eight hundred
acres or ti,nberBlund He will huvc the
manor remodeled and will use 1t for u
country homo. MIR. Willis Is II large lun-.
Der dealer and Insurance man OF llump-
ton, and IS atsprcscnt superintendent or
schools of Elizabeth City county. lie was
one of tho members OF the constitutional
Convcntiont and is we'll known through
the State. H34
'Bcrkclcy"'5i is located In Charles City
county, Va, OIL the north bank OF the
James River and about twcnty-elght
miles from Richmond by road.
It is, perhaps. richer in historical as
sociations than any other estate IN the
old Dominion. Seven BENJAMIN Harri-
sons are said Ito have been born on the
plantation IN succeeding generations.
President William Henry Harrison Grip
.pccanoc) was born there in 1913. HIS
father, Benjamin Harrison. was q prom
inent sta tesman In his day; ne was one
Of the signers Of the Declaration of IN
dependence, and later was elected Cover
nor of tho State.
In colonial times Berkeley was a favor
tie shipping point. There was a large
storehousc on tho planta ton, and vessels
from England piled back and forth, ex-
the many articles which the col-
onists were obliged to import for tobacco
and other products OF the country.
In 1922, when the Indians overran the
mpssacreng the inhabitants,
twcnty-scvelN persons lost their lives on
the estate. tx 55Sl5
IT'S CIVIL MAR HISTORY.
During tho Civil War Berkeley wns
In the North by the name,
'Harirson's Landing" After the battle
If Malvern i6IIill Mcclellan rctreated to
His noint and fortified himself The
manor house was used as hospital
From Cogglns Point on the opposite
shore, the Confcdcrn ties shced McClcl-
ans shipping In tlleyriVer, doing great
damage; one shell sstruck the manor
house. 5t,
rhe famous estate OF "Wcstover" adj,
ons Berkeley below, and Shirley is
lust above. City Point and Bermuda
Hundred, on the opposite bank OF the
liver, arc; above. dtnot far distant y Ohm
ryler, who succeeded TO the presidency
IN the death of Harrison, was also porn
II Charles City. about four miles below
Berkeley Sherwood Forest his late
.esdcnce is only five miles farther down
tho river
,rhe Berkeley plantation comprises about
400 acres of lan6--60O acres cleared. Soo
,crcs In timber. principally North Caro-
ina pine. intcrspersed with oak There
8 an ample orchard OF, about three acres.
which has been set sixteen or seventeen
years Gnd Is In bearing.
rho Manor House stands back from tho
lver on a slightly elevation when az
!, long distance. It was built In 172o Of
'rcK brought from n 'slaG "a the Soe ana
ous hall. running through midway from
de e side divides a the bpans rhsr.
our great rooms OIL floor. At either
nd Of the bullying and a. bo, d.stqaea
wo-story brick building Of four rooms.
bout 1890 fcet,-one built for, an once.
he other for a laundry ana also TO pi w L
'ide additional sleeping apartments.
There IS brick Ice house and "a IN |.
rame building. single roof It has stalls
or sxty-clght head stof cattle and loft
DOM for great quantity OF hay. At
ached to the barn Is "a wing Intended
or a silo. :;si ss35
THE property passed from the Harrison
a~,ily in 1916 through intermediate own
RS to Joseph II. CrenshaW In 1862 who
>. Knox Judge Knox died In 1904, and
tho property was sold rs under fora-
closure OF a trust deed made by him
o secure payment OF IN part Of the
purchase money
"a r. r ., All a. - #alallRs @s s#s