Jacob W. Holt
Encyclopedia
Jacob W. Holt was an early to mid 19th century carpenter and builder-architect of Warrenton, North Carolina
. Some twenty or more buildings are known to have been built by him or are attributed to him and his workshop by local tradition or their distinctive style. Some of his work includes among others Long Grass Plantation
, buildings at Peace College
and the John Watson House
.
Jacob W. Holt was born March 30, 1811 in Prince Edward County, Virginia
to David Holt (a carpenter) and Elizabeth McGehee of Prince Edward County, Virginia. By the time Jacob was in his middle teens, both parents had died, leaving him and his three siblings in the care of their uncle John MeGehee. It is thought that Jacob and his brother Thomas apprenticed with area carpenter William A. Howard during this time. In 1838, Jacob married Aurelia Phillips, and two years later, was documented as controlling the largest non-farming cadre of laborers in the county, with nineteen free men and twenty nine male slaves. Despite his apparently large, if not successful, business, few examples of his Prince Edward County work are documented. Holt and a large group of other Prince Edward County craftsmen emigrated to Warrenton, North Carolina during the early 1840s. Warren was the wealthiest county in North Carolina, and Warrenton, which was home to approximately 1,000 residents, proved fertile ground for these craftsmen to prosper.
By 1845, Holt was in business with two Prince Edward brickmasons and plasterers, Edward T. Rice and Francis Woodson. Four years later, Jacob’s younger brother, Thomas, who had previously lived in Lunenburg County, Virginia, joined him in Warrenton. The 1850 Census lists Holt with forty-two slaves and seventeen free whites in his employ. At first, Holt’s buildings spoke the Greek Revival architectural language that was common to the region, but by the 1850s, he was producing buildings in what Catherine Bishir termed a more “eclectic Italianate style.” Bishir noted that Holt’s “bold, personalized style appealed to the region’s thriving planters and merchants.” By 1860, Holt had completed scores of residential and institutional buildings in Virginia and North Carolina, and a writer for the North Carolina Standard Weekly wrote that Holt was “one of the first architects in the state… …he has put up many fine residences and public buildings in the eastern part of the state.” In 1869, Holt moved to the Mecklenburg County, Virginia town that would later be renamed Chase City, and immediately began constructing a pair of houses for Pennsylvania developers John E. Boyd and George Endley. In 1870, the Mecklenburg Herald reported that Holt, “master carpenter and genius,” was “turning things upside down in Boydton.” It continued, “we are satisfied that he can and does do more work than one can hire the labor by the day, and have it executed….Yes, give us plenty of mechanics, and we will make Boydton and Mecklenburg County look like a new country. See what Mr. Holt and his brawny armed assistants have done for Christiansville [Chase City].” By the mid-1870s, Holt built some of his most elaborate buildings in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. He died on September 21, 1880 in Keysville, Virginia
, leaving two sons, three grandsons, and a number of former employees in the building trade.
Warrenton, North Carolina
Warrenton is a town in Warren County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 811 at the 2000 census. Founded in 1779, it is the county seat of Warren County. It is home to one of the campuses of Vance-Granville Community College....
. Some twenty or more buildings are known to have been built by him or are attributed to him and his workshop by local tradition or their distinctive style. Some of his work includes among others Long Grass Plantation
Long Grass Plantation
Long Grass Plantation is located along what was the Roanoke River basin but in the 1950s became the Buggs Island Lake/John H. Kerr Reservoir in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Built circa 1800 by George Tarry on land belonging to his father, Samuel Tarry , Long Grass Plantation encompassed...
, buildings at Peace College
Peace College
William Peace University is a small liberal arts college located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.-History:...
and the John Watson House
John Watson House (Warrenton, North Carolina)
The John Watson House in Warrenton, North Carolina, also known as Burwell House, was built in 1855 by Jacob W. Holt. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.-References:...
.
Jacob W. Holt was born March 30, 1811 in Prince Edward County, Virginia
Prince Edward County, Virginia
Prince Edward County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 23,368. Its county seat is Farmville.-Formation and County Seats:...
to David Holt (a carpenter) and Elizabeth McGehee of Prince Edward County, Virginia. By the time Jacob was in his middle teens, both parents had died, leaving him and his three siblings in the care of their uncle John MeGehee. It is thought that Jacob and his brother Thomas apprenticed with area carpenter William A. Howard during this time. In 1838, Jacob married Aurelia Phillips, and two years later, was documented as controlling the largest non-farming cadre of laborers in the county, with nineteen free men and twenty nine male slaves. Despite his apparently large, if not successful, business, few examples of his Prince Edward County work are documented. Holt and a large group of other Prince Edward County craftsmen emigrated to Warrenton, North Carolina during the early 1840s. Warren was the wealthiest county in North Carolina, and Warrenton, which was home to approximately 1,000 residents, proved fertile ground for these craftsmen to prosper.
By 1845, Holt was in business with two Prince Edward brickmasons and plasterers, Edward T. Rice and Francis Woodson. Four years later, Jacob’s younger brother, Thomas, who had previously lived in Lunenburg County, Virginia, joined him in Warrenton. The 1850 Census lists Holt with forty-two slaves and seventeen free whites in his employ. At first, Holt’s buildings spoke the Greek Revival architectural language that was common to the region, but by the 1850s, he was producing buildings in what Catherine Bishir termed a more “eclectic Italianate style.” Bishir noted that Holt’s “bold, personalized style appealed to the region’s thriving planters and merchants.” By 1860, Holt had completed scores of residential and institutional buildings in Virginia and North Carolina, and a writer for the North Carolina Standard Weekly wrote that Holt was “one of the first architects in the state… …he has put up many fine residences and public buildings in the eastern part of the state.” In 1869, Holt moved to the Mecklenburg County, Virginia town that would later be renamed Chase City, and immediately began constructing a pair of houses for Pennsylvania developers John E. Boyd and George Endley. In 1870, the Mecklenburg Herald reported that Holt, “master carpenter and genius,” was “turning things upside down in Boydton.” It continued, “we are satisfied that he can and does do more work than one can hire the labor by the day, and have it executed….Yes, give us plenty of mechanics, and we will make Boydton and Mecklenburg County look like a new country. See what Mr. Holt and his brawny armed assistants have done for Christiansville [Chase City].” By the mid-1870s, Holt built some of his most elaborate buildings in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. He died on September 21, 1880 in Keysville, Virginia
Keysville, Virginia
Keysville is a town in Charlotte County, Virginia, United States. The population was 817 at the 2000 census. One of two branches of Southside Virginia Community College is in Keysville...
, leaving two sons, three grandsons, and a number of former employees in the building trade.
External links
Further reading
- Catherine W. Bishir, Jacob W. Holt: An American Builder, 1981