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Please note that the meeting will be Monday, December 13, at 7:00 P. M. at the Surry County Va. Recreation Center.
She is a Historical Architect, and is working with Mosley Architects to ensure that our new Courthouse addition is in keeping with our present Courthouse, which is on the State and National Register of Historic Places. Mary holds a degree in Architecture from UVA. Her experience includes work with the Virginia Department of Historical Resources. We look forward to hearing from Mrs. Sadler at our December meeting. [Contact Information: Mary Harding Sadler, Sadler and Whitehead Architects, PLC at
President's Report Although born and reared in Petersburg, I have spent over half my life in Surry County. The seeds of my love for the county were sown during the 1940's while living at Pleasant Point during the summer months. The contrast between living at Pleasant Point and living in Walnut Hill in Petersburg was great. As a boy, I became fascinated with Surry's rural settings. The most vivid contrast of rural living and urban living for a small boy was the wide open spaces in Surry County. My father rented several parcels of land adjacent to Pleasant Point to local farmers to plant corn and peanuts. Working the fields during the 1940's were our neighbors. They would be in the open fields from early morning until sunset ploughing and hoeing weeds. I developed an admiration for these hard-working people. I also loved and admired our housekeeper, Estelle. She was a short, stocky lady from Waverly. Her full name was Estelle Inez Odell Vaughn. She began to work for the family soon after I was born in 1940. It was she who looked after my sister and I at Pleasant Point and Petersburg. She was a third parent to both of us during our childhood and beyond. She stayed with our family until her death from cancer in 1964. While we were at Pleasant Point, Estelle stayed with her friend Ora Jones. The Joneses lived in a house at the corner of Pleasant Point Road and Cobham Wharf Road. She walked from Ora Jones' house to Pleasant Point every day. She also walked to Poplar Lawn Church for services there. I remember one morning she brought me a baby box turtle that she had found on the road. Pleasant Point Road during this time was not paved. There was little traffic. There were two dangerous curves on the road and I remember local drivers would honk their horns while going around them. Other remembrances of Estelle and our life at Pleasant Point include watching Mother and Estelle in the basement kitchen. I think we had a gas stove. One time I sassed Mother while they were preparing supper and she threw the tomato she was peeling at me and it hit me in the face. We were both surprised; I haven't cared for tomatoes since. Mother left the killing of chickens to Estelle. I watched with awe as Estelle did this. She would place the chicken on a tree stump, hold it steady with her foot and chop off its head with an axe. Then, of course, the chicken would flop all over the yard. This was high entertainment for me. I also remember being "helpful" when she did the laundry. Of course, all washing was done outside in large tubs with washboards and I helped carry buckets of water to fill the tubs. We did not have a clothesline, so all the wet clothes were spread on bushes to dry. After the washing was finished, Estelle would sit down and soak her feet in the washtub.
Finally, I do remember a bit of trouble my sister Suzanne and I caused when we were about seven and five. My parents were gone and Estelle and my grandmother were keeping us. We stayed outside playing most days and this particular day we saw a truck parked on the outskirts of our field. The window was down and we proceeded to throw handfuls of soft, tilled dirt into the seat. The farmer told my grandmother of our misdeed and when my father came home he switched us both.
Rogers' Store Open House: On Saturday, October 2, 2004, The Society had an open house at Rogers' Store. Over eighty persons attended, some continuing to arrive even after closing time. As usual, the old records were of great interest. Many visitors were thrilled to find their ancestors' names, and what they bought up to over 100 years ago in our nearly complete record books. New was an old blacksmith shop [ca1890] from next door, the Atkins farm. This blacksmith shop, along with tools that were hand-made, is on loan to the Society. The ca.1820 Gwaltneys' Store seemed to be of special interest to many. The age and many placards showing how the building was built, as a store, surprised many visitors. It is likely the oldest existing commercial building in Surry County. Colonial Williamsburg expressed an interest in moving it there to be part of their exhibitions. The highlight of the day: A visit by members of the Bishop family who presented the Society with a very special book. This book, "A New System of Modern Geographical, Historical and Commercial Grammar and Present State of the Several Nations of the World, Volume II " by William Guthrie, Esq. was published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and printed for Mathew Carey on April 25, 1795. As great as the book is, the provenance of its owners is even more spectacular. Below is a listing.
To put this in better perspective, let's look at who these owners were and where they lived.
Surry County Courthouse - 2004. New plans for an addition to our courthouse are progressing. To bring you up to date, the plans prepared for the previous Board of Supervisors have been abandoned. They would have drastically changed the appearance, and overwhelmed what few details that remained, of the old Courthouse. It would have lost its state and federal recognition as a Historic Site. New plans by another group, Moseley Architects, call for a much smaller addition which is sensitive to the design and materials of the existing 1923 Courthouse. They have hired a Historical Architect, Mary Harding Sadler, to give advice to ensure its design and construction are appropriate. Preliminary plans show an addition, very similar to the existing building, directly behind the present Courthouse. It will require that our office, "The old Jail", be moved to another site on the Courthouse grounds. This is expected to be done in a manner that will not cause us to lose our recognition as a Historic District. We expect to continue to have the use of the building as our office, likely with some period of time that it may be unavailable for occupation. The Society has also asked the Surry County Board of Supervisors to let The Society use another building, The Academy, c1848, on the Courthouse grounds for a museum to showcase all of Surry County's historical gems. It should be the first stop for visitors to Surry County and promote our history. We hope to have this museum open by the 2007 celebration of the settlement of Jamestown. Expect updates as plans evolve. Courthouse Photos & History Surry Historic Buildings on the National Register Scotland Ferry Update. While there is activity in trying to secure an additional ferry from Scotland to Jamestown, much more has to be done, and soon, if this bottleneck is to be eased before 2007. The situation today is:
Unless we speak up forcefully and quickly, nothing will be done. Our Senator is Fred Quayle. E-mail [email protected] More information here. Our Delegate is Bill Barlow. E-mail [email protected] More information here.
This brought back many memories of how we farmed, lived and survived during this period of great economic woe. I will attempt to give some as I remember them and the times. I will present them as "Rules" used to survive. The first rule was, above all, pray and go to church. Other "rules" and memories included:
These are my memories, tales told, stories related, and perhaps some exagerations. It shows how we made it through tough times. But there is something unusual about the story. I did not know we were poor! As I grew up, there was little difference in how we lived as sharecroppers and how our neighbors who owned their farms lived. Having no basis of comparison, my memories are of a loving, caring community. It was the way things were. We were interdependent and caring. There was no safety net, except our neighbors. There was no one who was rich, or even close.
Those who had more, gave. Those who had less, also gave.
We have just added a very detailed Index to Wills and Administrations, (1800-1852) for Surry County, VA, to the Surry Historical Society Web Site. It includes names of Administrators and Executors, full dates, book and page references and notes. It was created for the Society by Anne Gwaltney of New York and Surry.
For folks interested in Surry research, this will be a valuable resource. You will find it linked to the
NEW page and the HISTORY LINKS page. (If you can't wait, it's HERE!) Check it out!
Surry County VAGenWeb
Elevations: What is the elevation above sea level of Surry County? It varies much more than you might imagine. Around Hog Island it is only a few feet above sea level, maybe 5 feet. Without a complete study, the highest elevation I have found of Surry County on topographical maps is west of Rt. 40 between Savedge and Spring Grove at 135 feet above sea level. JEA [We have Surry County U.S.G.S. Quadrangles from 1919 HERE.] "New Design" has been an Enigma for generations. We know that it is generally in the area where Rt. 615 and Rt. 616 come together approximately five miles north of Dendron, Va. The Surry County Militia met at "New Design" well before the Civil War. Why is it called New Design? Was it a newly designed road? Is it a place? Despite many mentions in our county records, what it is, and exactly where it is, and when and why it was named, have been hidden. A secret has been found! The clue that broke the secret is page 116 of Surry County Plat Book 1. This plat, dated 29 March 1828 involves the changing of property lines between adjoining owners, Richard Ellis, Thomas Ellis and Thomas Atkinson, alongside the "New Design" of the road. The plat does not denote who gained or lost property. Cornelius Ellis and Tho. H. Atkinson carried the chain for the survey. The "Old Road" did not match the prior property lines. While the property line ran straight, the road meandered through Atkinson's property. Early roads often went where the going was the easiest. If the ruts got too deep, they just moved the road to a better place. You see the evidence of this alongside of many early paths and roads in Surry County. Next I searched for a deed (indenture) based on this plat. I found it in Surry County Deed Book 8, pages 322 and 323. Dated 29 July 1828, it was between Thomas H. Atkinson and wife Mary C. Atkinson of the first part and Cornelius M. Ellis of the second part. Ellis paid Atkinson $28 and 68 and 3/4 cents for the surveyed 12 and 3/4 acres of land. The beginning line was to run due west, apparently the northern boundary line of Atkinson's land, from the beginning point in the plat until it enters another road at a small red oak mentioned in the boundary on the north side of the road. The said Cornelius M. Ellis contemplated to alter the course of the said road so that it shall run a due west course and be on the land that Atkinson sold. Thus the "New Design" was likely built soon after this deed was signed and filed in Surry County records. Where is it? It could be at the intersection of Rt. 615 and Rt. 616, on the road from Dendron to Carsley. This intersection has been called "New Design" during my lifetime.
It could have been at the intersection of Rt. 616 and Rt. 630. Rt. 616 goes to Elberon and Rt.
630, unpaved, goes to Rt. 618 towards Rt. 10 and on towards Troopers, the location of the old
Courthouse until approximately 1797.
We cannot say exactly where it is, but the search is not complete or over. The smoking gun will be where Thomas H. Atkins- Atkinson, Richard Ellis, Thomas Ellis and Cornelius Ellis lived in 1828. But wait a minute! Dennis Hudgins, historian, editor of Cavaliers and Pioneers, and friend of Surry County, is now in Emporia, Va. He just supplied more information from the Court of Quarterly Sessions of Surry County beginning in 1800. This is getting more confusing. Obviously the name "New Design" was in existence by 1800. At a Court of Quarterly Sessions held for the County of Surry the twenty seventh day of May Eighteen hundred Present James Kee, Thomas Peter, Archibald Cocke and William Ruffin Gentlemen Justices We the grand jury do present Thomas Kee for profane swearing at the new Design on the 15th Instant by information of William Spratley and Robert Ellis, 27 Aug. 1800 We of the grand jury do present the Surveyor of the road leading from the new design to Mrs Pettways for not keeping the same in good repair by the information of Randolph H. Price and Jesse Steward. signed Wm Bailey Foreman, and the said grand jury having nothing further to present were discharged. 26 August 1800 On motion of John Stiles he is permitted to keep an Ordinary at the New Design the ensuing year he gave Bond and security as the Law directs.[26 April 1803] We of the Grand Jury do present Judkins Lane for profane swearing at the New Design on the 15th May 1802 by information of Joel Williamson and James Bishop "We of the Grand Jury do present Peter Jemm for getting Drunk and presenting a Pistol against Jn° Stiles at the New Design on the 15th of May 1802 by the information of Edward Marks and Robert Davis" We of the grand Jury do present William Hicks for being drunk at the New Design on the 12th day of May (instant) By the information of Benjamin Bilbro and Nicholas Hite. We of the Grand Jury do [p.395] present Nathaniel Thompson for prophane swearing at the New Design on the 12th day of May (instant), By the information of Edward Bailey and Edward S Holt We of the grand Jury do present William Hicks for being drunk at the New Design on the 12th day of May (instant)[1803] By the information of Benjamin Bilbro and Nicholas Hite Ordered that James Smith Lane do Superintend the election of three discreet and fit persons being free holders and resident within Birch-island precinct, to act within the said precinct as Overseers of the poor agreeably to Law, that he hold the said election at the New Design on the third Monday in March next, and make report &c. [Feb. 29, 1804] That he also advertise at the New-design that an election of the Over seers of the poor, at Birch-island precinct will be holden at that place on the same day.[Feb. 29, 1804] John Stiles came into court and informed the Court upon oath that Richard Shackleford, German Ellis, Benjamin Cocke, John Putney, John Justiss, William Moring, and George Birdsong did on the nineteenth of this Instant, (November) engaged in Gambling in his Tavern, at the New Design: It is therefore ordered that they be severally summoned to the next court of quarter sessions to answer the same. [Nov. 27, 1806] Ordered that Archibald Cocke do superintend the election of Overseers of the Poor in Birch Island precinct at the New Design on Saturday the 31 st Inst. and that he forthwith make report threof to the clerk of this court. [27 Mar. 1810] On motion of Thomas Bailey junr. who paid the sum of twelve dollars and fifty cents the tax imposed by law and entered into Bond as the law directs he is Licenced to keep an Ordinary at the New Design until the first day of May next. [May 22, 1810] Upon the petition of John W Lane and others setting forth that it will be beneficial to the neighbors to open a public road leading from the New Design to Black Water Swamp. Stephen Ellis, Richard Hines, and Robert W Faison three of the persons appointed at the last Court to view the ground along which the said road is proposed to be conducted if changed, this day made a report in these words. "We the viewers of the new road leading from the New Design road to the Swamp, about three miles in length, can be made passable with the expense to the County of fifty dollars. This road runs on Stephen Ellis, Mrs Watkins and Mrs Clanton's lands, no pay required. (Signed) Stephen Ellis, Richard Hines Robert W Faison" Whereupon the Court having considered the said report, and all circumstances connected with said application, doth order that the County Court of Sussex be informed that this County is willing to build a Bridge, and abutment on the Surry Side of Black Water Swamp in continuation of the road proposed by the said report of viewers, provided the said road be tendered for the use of the County in good order. And provided that Sussex County build a Bridge &c. over the main run of Black Water Swamp, and keep up the said Bridge when built in the manner prescribed law.[May Court 1852] {New Bridges on Rt 603.} So, we know more, but have less answers. Now "NEW DESIGN" is 204 years old. It sounds like it was a party place. We still do not know why the name came into being, or exactly where. Help wanted. There definitely will be more on this subject. Let's unravel Surry County's "hidden history".
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