Peter Stephens (pioneer)
Encyclopedia
Peter Stephens was the son of Gabriel Steffen and of Barbara (née Bar). Stephens is known for founding present-day Stephens City, Virginia
.
, Swabia
(present day Germany
) on March 3, 1687.
Besides his birth in Swabia, little is known about Stephens before 1699 when he and his parents emigrated to America on William Tell's second shipload of families for the purpose of populating the then Colony of Pennsylvania
.
Peter would then migrate to what is now Frederick County, Virginia
, and settle south of present-day Winchester, Virginia
(which would not be founded for several more years past Stephens arrival).
After buying 674 acres (2.7 km²) from Josh Hite, the act of which was challenged by land baron Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
, though settled amicably between Lord Fairfax and Stephens, Peter settled and founded, then unofficially called "Stephens town", in the early 1730s. It would be later chartered by the Virginia General Assembly
at the request of his son Lewis and called "Stephensburgh". Today, "Stephensburgh" is called Stephens City
and celebrated its 250th anniversary, on October 12, 2008.
His wife, Maria Christina, would have seven children, four sons and three daughters, six of whom would be born in Frederick County, Virginia. Only their first son, Lewis, was born possibly in New York.
Stephens died at the age of 70 in November 1757, just under a year before the town he founded would become chartered in October 1758.
Stephens City, Virginia
Stephens City is an incorporated town in the southern part of Frederick County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 1,829 at the time of the 2010 Census....
.
Biography
Peter Stephens was born Peter Steffen in SteinsfurtSteinsfurt
Steinsfurt is a town in southwestern Germany, in the Rhine Neckar Area of the Bundesland Baden-Württemberg between Heidelberg and Heilbronn in the district Rhein-Neckar. It is one of the 11 suburbs of Sinsheim with whom it shares a Mayor...
, Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
(present day Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) on March 3, 1687.
Besides his birth in Swabia, little is known about Stephens before 1699 when he and his parents emigrated to America on William Tell's second shipload of families for the purpose of populating the then Colony of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
Peter would then migrate to what is now Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is included in the Winchester, Virginia-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. For ten years it was the home of George Washington. As of 2010, the population was...
, and settle south of present-day Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
(which would not be founded for several more years past Stephens arrival).
After buying 674 acres (2.7 km²) from Josh Hite, the act of which was challenged by land baron Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
, though settled amicably between Lord Fairfax and Stephens, Peter settled and founded, then unofficially called "Stephens town", in the early 1730s. It would be later chartered by the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
at the request of his son Lewis and called "Stephensburgh". Today, "Stephensburgh" is called Stephens City
Stephens City, Virginia
Stephens City is an incorporated town in the southern part of Frederick County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 1,829 at the time of the 2010 Census....
and celebrated its 250th anniversary, on October 12, 2008.
His wife, Maria Christina, would have seven children, four sons and three daughters, six of whom would be born in Frederick County, Virginia. Only their first son, Lewis, was born possibly in New York.
Stephens died at the age of 70 in November 1757, just under a year before the town he founded would become chartered in October 1758.