Long Grass Plantation
Encyclopedia
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 (said land being named Ivy Hill, house razed in the 1950s), Long Grass Plantation encompassed approximately 2000 acres (8 km²). Today, most of the land once belonging to Long Grass is submerged and is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Only 27 +/- acres of privately owned land make up the grounds of Long Grass. The property was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and the National Register of Historic Places
on July 21, 1995.
The original hall and parlor
structure still exists and has been added on to over the years in 4 major phases.
The current structure is dominated by the additions made in the early to mid 19th century by builder-architect Jacob W. Holt
of Warrenton, NC. In the early 1830s Holt was commissioned to build a 2-storey, single-pile, 3-bay addition to the front of the original 1.5 storey house. The 2 structures were connected via a 1-storey hyphen. The addition is much larger in scale and massing than the original hall and parlor and with a neoclassical entrance and porch (probably salvaged from and earlier home in Warren County
or along the Roanoke River
) the newer addition was an indication of the economic fortune generated from tobacco cultivation. Several years later (probably in the late 1840s) Holt was again commissioned to make improvements to the property. By this time Holt had adopted elements of the popular Italianate style of architecture in his designs. Holt raised the roof of the original hall and parlor to make a full second storey and designed a relatively ornate single storey porch across the rear of the house.
In the 1950s the house was renovated and retrofitted with modern mechanical systems. The 1-storey hyphen connecting the two structures was raised to 2 full stories. Two new bathrooms were created - one upstairs in the new hyphen space and one downstairs in the Holt addition dining room space.
The most recent renovation occurred in the 1990s when Bruce and Sudie Park of Raleigh, North Carolina
purchased the property. Michael Denton of Clarksville, Virginia
and Trent Park managed the renovation project. At this time the property was completely renovated and the spaces between the original hall and parlor and the Holt addition on either side of the hyphen were enclosed to make space for a breakfast room, study, and 2 new bathrooms upstairs. The bathroom created in the 1950s in the Holt dining room was removed completely. New, updated mechanical systems were installed.
On the grounds of Long Grass Plantation are many of the buildings historically used by the plantation to carry out domestic and agricultural tasks. Of the original historic structures the Ice House, Smoke House
, Kitchen
/Laundry
, School House, Pack House, 2 Tobacco Barn
s, and a Double Tennant (former slave) Dwelling still exist. Of these buildings the Tennant House is in the most advanced state of decay. The Pack House is also nearing disrepair. All of the other buildings are structurally sound and well protected.
Items of note:
The frame Ice House (ca. 1830) is most unusual. It is very large for an Ice House or Dairy Building. The structure is 2 stories with a pit underneath. Over time it has been used to store corn and the second storey was used as a pigeon coop.
The one-room School House (ca. 1800) was renovated and added on to in the 1950s to create a cottage with kitchen, bathroom and sleeping loft.
The Smoke House (ca. 1830) was noted in 19th century letters as being one of the largest and most secure in the region. It most recently was used to house poultry
The Kitchen/Laundry (ca. 1830 and 1840) actually began as a kitchen only. Built of frame construction it had a brick floor and a massive stone firebox and chimney. Later (probably when Holt added the rear porch) the structure was doubled in size by adding on behind the chimney. A fireplace was created in the addition that shared the original chimney. Today the laundry room fireplace and the original chimney still stand but the original enormous stone fireplace in the kitchen building has collapsed.
The Tobacco Pack House has suffered some serious structural damage but still stands and is relatively well protected. This is the building where the tobacco was stored and processed for drying and transportation to market. The structure was added on to over time. In its current configuration it is roughly rectangular with 4 irregularly shaped rooms on the first storey and a large loft area above. There are very few window openings. There is a large stone lined humidor pit underneath a portion of the structure that was used for managing the moisture level of the leaves.
Planted in the front yard of Long Grass is a 'Constitution Oak' from the 1912 Virginia Constitution
al Convention. The Burr Oak is an unusual species in Virginia. Each of the delegates to this constitutional convention were given a sapling to plant to commemorate the event.
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
basin but in the 1950s became the Buggs Island Lake/John H. Kerr Reservoir in Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Mecklenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2010, there were 32,727 people, 12,951 households, and 8,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 52 people per square mile . There were 17,403 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
. Built circa 1800 by George Tarry on land belonging to his father, Samuel Tarry (said land being named Ivy Hill, house razed in the 1950s), Long Grass Plantation encompassed approximately 2000 acres (8 km²). Today, most of the land once belonging to Long Grass is submerged and is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Only 27 +/- acres of privately owned land make up the grounds of Long Grass. The property was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 21, 1995.
Evolution of the Main Structure
Hall and parlor house
A hall and parlor house is a type of vernacular house found in medieval to 19th century England, as well as colonial America. It is presumed to have been the model on which other North American house types have been developed such as the Cape Cod house and the Saltbox and influenced the somewhat...
structure still exists and has been added on to over the years in 4 major phases.
The current structure is dominated by the additions made in the early to mid 19th century by builder-architect Jacob W. Holt
Jacob W. Holt
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...
of Warrenton, NC. In the early 1830s Holt was commissioned to build a 2-storey, single-pile, 3-bay addition to the front of the original 1.5 storey house. The 2 structures were connected via a 1-storey hyphen. The addition is much larger in scale and massing than the original hall and parlor and with a neoclassical entrance and porch (probably salvaged from and earlier home in Warren County
Warren County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,584 people, 12,087 households, and 8,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 13,299 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile...
or along the Roanoke River
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
) the newer addition was an indication of the economic fortune generated from tobacco cultivation. Several years later (probably in the late 1840s) Holt was again commissioned to make improvements to the property. By this time Holt had adopted elements of the popular Italianate style of architecture in his designs. Holt raised the roof of the original hall and parlor to make a full second storey and designed a relatively ornate single storey porch across the rear of the house.
The most recent renovation occurred in the 1990s when Bruce and Sudie Park of Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
purchased the property. Michael Denton of Clarksville, Virginia
Clarksville, Virginia
Clarksville is a town founded in Mecklenburg County and overlapping across Halifax County in the U.S. state of Virginia, near the southern border of the state. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 census...
and Trent Park managed the renovation project. At this time the property was completely renovated and the spaces between the original hall and parlor and the Holt addition on either side of the hyphen were enclosed to make space for a breakfast room, study, and 2 new bathrooms upstairs. The bathroom created in the 1950s in the Holt dining room was removed completely. New, updated mechanical systems were installed.
The Dependencies
Smokehouse
A smokehouse is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.-History:...
, Kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
/Laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
, School House, Pack House, 2 Tobacco Barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
s, and a Double Tennant (former slave) Dwelling still exist. Of these buildings the Tennant House is in the most advanced state of decay. The Pack House is also nearing disrepair. All of the other buildings are structurally sound and well protected.
Items of note:
The frame Ice House (ca. 1830) is most unusual. It is very large for an Ice House or Dairy Building. The structure is 2 stories with a pit underneath. Over time it has been used to store corn and the second storey was used as a pigeon coop.
The one-room School House (ca. 1800) was renovated and added on to in the 1950s to create a cottage with kitchen, bathroom and sleeping loft.
The Smoke House (ca. 1830) was noted in 19th century letters as being one of the largest and most secure in the region. It most recently was used to house poultry
The Kitchen/Laundry (ca. 1830 and 1840) actually began as a kitchen only. Built of frame construction it had a brick floor and a massive stone firebox and chimney. Later (probably when Holt added the rear porch) the structure was doubled in size by adding on behind the chimney. A fireplace was created in the addition that shared the original chimney. Today the laundry room fireplace and the original chimney still stand but the original enormous stone fireplace in the kitchen building has collapsed.
The Tobacco Pack House has suffered some serious structural damage but still stands and is relatively well protected. This is the building where the tobacco was stored and processed for drying and transportation to market. The structure was added on to over time. In its current configuration it is roughly rectangular with 4 irregularly shaped rooms on the first storey and a large loft area above. There are very few window openings. There is a large stone lined humidor pit underneath a portion of the structure that was used for managing the moisture level of the leaves.
Other History
The land on which Long Grass Plantation was built by Tarry was granted by King George to his father for the building of Ivy Hill. A third plantation named Wildwood was built upon this land by a Tarry son.Planted in the front yard of Long Grass is a 'Constitution Oak' from the 1912 Virginia Constitution
Constitution of Virginia
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the document that defines and limits the powers of the state government and the basic rights of the citizens of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. Like all other state constitutions, it is supreme over Virginia's laws and acts of government,...
al Convention. The Burr Oak is an unusual species in Virginia. Each of the delegates to this constitutional convention were given a sapling to plant to commemorate the event.