Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-21
OLD COLONIAL HOMES
ALONG THE MATTAPONI
Owned by Some OF Virginia's
Ancient Families.
MANY OF THEM HISTORIC
DIR. Bernard II. Walker Writes Reml-
niscently of Houses and People
Prominent i'm Virginiu's Early
Day-Traditions Retold.
by DIR. BERNARD II. wALkEr.

Ton, established very early i'll the bia-
Tory Of tho country by the Iunpkin
Family. Very little is known of tie
family history. At the Mattuponi
Church there is marble slab over the
remains OF jacob Lumpkin. with the
date OF 1908. Or the same estate there
still exists the foundation OF large
building. The foundation walls are
very thick, but nothing is known OF
it's history. Across tho river was the
Colonial home of another family OF
Hills. Colonel John Hill WAS perhaps
the last OF the family that lived there.
My father. Temple Walker, and his
brother, Baylor Walker. married two
OF his daughters. At that day much
OF the visiting among the old families
living on the river was done in row
boats. On one occasion. when my
father was going from his home TO
Colonel HITS in the spring a large
sturgeon jumped in his boat. and when
no arrived he told Colonel Hill that If
lie would send to the landing he would
nave some sturgeon steak for break
last This splendid old mansion WAS
dismantled and the t!mbcrs used to
build modern house AT Fra 2crs
Ferry for Mr.. Phil Gibson.
failed to complete nay account OF
Ncw!ngton. The place came into the
the eighteenth century. and he com
ncnced many improvements on it
which he never completed. Becoming
involved he sold II TO John Roanc. who
raised a large family, and being :, man
of large wealth. he left each Of his
children, though twelve IN number "A
considerable estate. Newingtou he de-
vised to his son, John Rnanc. Jr. He
was addicted TO drink. He had mar
ried Miss Frazier. a lovely girl, but
socially beneath him. This fact rrcycd
on his mind, and one day. in a drunken
condition, he cut her throat and then
the throat Of his negro butler and at
tempted that OF his under butler but
he hid himself in q barrel and so saved
his life; MIR. Roanc Was promptly
arrested and tried and condemned 10
death, but. the night before the day on
which he WAS TO be hung some friend
supplied him with laudanum ana he
died from It's effects.
EARLY HISTORY or MEI.R0SE.
rs SOMEWHAT OBSCURE
Mclrosc IL tho next place on which
was situated Colonial building.
cannot ASCERTAIN the early history Of
this place. II was occupied some scv-
cntY-hve years ago by the Rowe fam
lily. but do not know that the. we're
tile original owners. This place WAS
bought since the war by Mr.. Jacob Tur-
: ner, and lie dismantled tho house and
sold enough bricks from tho walls TO
pay tho purchase money for the place
Across the river is Huntington. tho
scat OF tho Switzerland family. II
came into the possession OF the Greg
Dry family by tho VIII or Mrs E'endal n
Switzerland 10 her granddaughter, who
was the granddaughter OF William
gregory and wife OF Mr.. Thomas W. s.
Gregory. Huntingdon for many years
has been abandoned as - dwelling
The next Colonial residence in King
and Queen is Pleasant Hill. built and
occupied for many years by the Robin
son family. II was burned since the
civil War. Here lived Henry Robin
House OF Rurgesses, ana who upon one
occasion, when General Washingt on
was addressing the House OF Bur
resscs, giving In q modest and hcsitat-
ing manner an account OF his military
operations, said 10 him: sit down,
Colonel Washington. your nodesty
equals your courage"
Across the river from Pleasant hin
- Chelsea, the colonial home OF tn.
Moores, family of considerabIo dis
tinction in the early DAYS of the onlonv
There lived Bernard Moore who mar
ricd daughter of Governor Spottswood,
ana VINO accompanied Governor SPOTS
wood IN his transmountair expedition
Chelsea was splendid old country seat.
now In The hands of strangers, and, |
hear. married by late additions Tn 10
the time! OF the Civil War il remained
in the family Then owned by Mr.. Ben
!d'h'i' Nobihsoii, VINO married u Miss
Moore.
The next OF the old colonial seats. as
lar AS ! am Informed. is I.anevillc. the
home for many generations of the Cor
hin family. ] do not know at what
time Il was built II must have hccn
very early In the history of the coun-
try AT the beginning OF the Rcvolu-
ton 1t is stated that Governor Dunmore
sent many of the archives Of the colony
over TO Lanerille. where they We're de-
posted In subterranean cellar con-
nected with the building. do not
know but suppose from that fact Cif II
he fact) that the Corbin who was then
The owner of Laneville was a Royalst
spent night nj this old place some
siXty-flve years ago II was then sill
owned by James Park Corbin, but occu-
pied by Mr.. Benjamin Robins | was
impressed with the length of the build
ING. The middle portion was two
stories, square built, with four large
rooms and spacious hall passing
through 1t. and fianked by two wings i'm
which were pantries, storerooms, SER
wants quarters, bedrooms. etc A ira
ditton Is that Colonel Corbin had his
reception and sleeping rooms in one end
Of the building, and Mrs Corbin the
other end, and when he paid her for
NAL visit he ordered his coach ana four
and drove In grand style the length Of
the house TO her rcccption room
Whether 1t was true o. not in regard
20
days of the Revolutions or moi co,onc1
Richard Corbin was true man AT the
time or the War OF 1872 with England.
and presented the County of King ana
Qdeen with two brass cannon which.
during the Civil War were sent to Ric>,
mond for the Confederate government
The Corbin family possessed great
wealth as 1T was counted IN that day
and 1t was common saying years ago
when speaking of a rich man to say '.llc
n r.
ard Corbin owned considerable property
at King and Queen Courthouse. and lie
or his father built the old tavern there.
which was quite an imposing building
for the times. 1t, along with every
other building both public and pri-
rate, was burned by the Yankees dur
ing the Civil War
On the Laneville estate, near tile
public road. thcrc was 81 church build
ing which long ago went to decay, and