ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION: THE MANSION HOUSE

On the second floor of the east wing is a bedroom and bathroom suite, entered from the central block of the house on the second floor level. Dormer windows are on the north (rear) and south (front) sides of the bedroom, and the bathroom has a dormer window on the north side. The bedroom has built-in closets, shelves, and cupboards, the hardware of which is wrought iron. Doors have box locks and small brass door knobs. Two steps are built into the doorway connecting the east wing with the central block of the house on the second floor level.

West Wing.The west wing of the house was added in 1942, and was designed by the renovator, Walter Macomber.

The first floor contains a modern kitchen, a butler’s pantry, and a staircase containing stairways to the basement and to the second floor, together with storage closets. An exterior door in the end wall provides direct access to the outside.

The second floor of the west wing contains a bedroom and bathroom suite similar in layout to the suite on the second floor of the east wing. The bedroom contains built-in closets, shelves, and cupboards, and wrought iron hardware (thumb latches and H and L hinges).

Basement.The basement is beneath the central block of the house, and its design is basically unchanged from the original except for the concrete footings and steel columns placed there in 1960 to strengthen the deteriorating brick interior wall. The basement was not extended underneath either of the two wings of the house when they were constructed.

Entrance to the basement originally was by a stairway located at the end of the central hallway, where also was located the stairway to the second floor and attic. In 1942, however, the stairway to the basement was shifted to a new staircase located in the new west wing of the house, where it is at the present time. The basement currently contains gas heating equipment for the house, a water heater, and storage space.

[85]Mrs. Michael Straight, interview December 1969. Certain pieces of the garden sculpture are from Peking, China. Others include “Frog Girl” by Willi Soukop.

Mrs. Michael Straight, interview December 1969. Certain pieces of the garden sculpture are from Peking, China. Others include “Frog Girl” by Willi Soukop.

[86]Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1839.

Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1839.

[87]John Mosby Beattie, interview April 17, 1969.

John Mosby Beattie, interview April 17, 1969.

[88]David Condon, AIA; interview December 11, 1969. The earlier room layout of the central block of the house had two rooms, each about 12 by 12 feet, on each side of the central hallway which ran through the house widthwise. Each of these four rooms had its own fireplace located in the end wall. This pattern was duplicated in the four rooms on the second floor.A somewhat unusual feature of this building was that the joists for the first and second floors ran lengthwise rather than across the house. They were anchored in the brick outer wall and in a brick bearing wall running the width of the house in the basement and extending up to the second floor. In 1960, it was found that this wall was crumbling and in danger of allowing the second-floor joists to pull out of their sockets. The installation of a series of steel columns holding up a steel beam had the effect of taking all bearing weight off this original segment of brick wall.

David Condon, AIA; interview December 11, 1969. The earlier room layout of the central block of the house had two rooms, each about 12 by 12 feet, on each side of the central hallway which ran through the house widthwise. Each of these four rooms had its own fireplace located in the end wall. This pattern was duplicated in the four rooms on the second floor.

A somewhat unusual feature of this building was that the joists for the first and second floors ran lengthwise rather than across the house. They were anchored in the brick outer wall and in a brick bearing wall running the width of the house in the basement and extending up to the second floor. In 1960, it was found that this wall was crumbling and in danger of allowing the second-floor joists to pull out of their sockets. The installation of a series of steel columns holding up a steel beam had the effect of taking all bearing weight off this original segment of brick wall.

[89]Ibid.The location of this masonry wall in the basement and its extension upward to the second floor made it possible for the original house to have the floor joists set lengthwise with the house instead of front-to-back. The joists were thus anchored in the outside walls at each end of the house and in the center wall running midway through the house.

Ibid.The location of this masonry wall in the basement and its extension upward to the second floor made it possible for the original house to have the floor joists set lengthwise with the house instead of front-to-back. The joists were thus anchored in the outside walls at each end of the house and in the center wall running midway through the house.

[90]Walter Macomber, interview held July 16, 1968, at Green Spring Farm. Mr. Macomber’s description of these shingles is as follows: “This shingle is something I helped develop for Williamsburg. We never did use it extensively, but it was made ... in Richmond [by] a man named Hendricks.... It’s made of concrete reinforced with two or three wires to the length of it.”

Walter Macomber, interview held July 16, 1968, at Green Spring Farm. Mr. Macomber’s description of these shingles is as follows: “This shingle is something I helped develop for Williamsburg. We never did use it extensively, but it was made ... in Richmond [by] a man named Hendricks.... It’s made of concrete reinforced with two or three wires to the length of it.”

[91]Ibid.This stairway was also reversed when it was moved into the library. As it originally stood in the hallway, the stairway ran upward from front to rear of the house, and a stairway to the basement was constructed underneath so as to run down to the basement from the rear to the front of the house.A second stairway between the first and second floors was also installed in a new staircase constructed in the new kitchen (west) wing built in 1942.

Ibid.This stairway was also reversed when it was moved into the library. As it originally stood in the hallway, the stairway ran upward from front to rear of the house, and a stairway to the basement was constructed underneath so as to run down to the basement from the rear to the front of the house.

A second stairway between the first and second floors was also installed in a new staircase constructed in the new kitchen (west) wing built in 1942.

[92]Ibid.Transcript of Mr. Macomber’s description of the library is as follows:Mr. Macomber: Now this room—the library—is a designed room.Mr. Netherton: By you, do you mean?Mr. Macomber: Yes.Mrs. Netherton: Do you know what the room was before?Mr. Macomber: Well, it was really plain.Mrs. Netherton: Is this an Adam mantelpiece?Mr. Macomber: You could call this an Adam mantel, although it’s not truly. It’s a mantel of about 1790.... This wood came from an old tavern near Peace Cross in Maryland. The building was torn down to make way for a large shopping center. This is all designed. This is a design of my own with the little dovetails which are a little affectation of mine. [Pointing to the entryway between the library and central hall.] At least part of this stair was original. The newel post and the balusters and the paneling under the first run of the stair are original, and the sheathing from that point up into the hall is a design, and was made right on the job by our carpenters.Mrs. Netherton: Did you lengthen these windows to the floor?Mr. Macomber: They were this way when we got the house, but they had been changed some time prior to 1942.Mrs. Netherton: The cupboard was part of the design, was it not?Mr. Macomber: Yes, it was, and I think this is one of the panels that came from Pennsylvania.... [Also] the paneled jamb from the library down into the living room came from this old building in Lancaster County [Pennsylvania]. And also the trim around the opening.The renovator’s description of the dining room included the following comments:Mr. Macomber: The mantel is a mantel of the period, and I’m quite sure it was in this room. The butterfly cupboard beside it is a design that was added to the room, and designed and built and installed for this particular location. The dining room, being a small room, we planned the recess beside the fireplace for the sideboard and also to give a little more space in the room and in the pantry. The chair rail I’m sure is original and the door trim, but the cornice I installed. The base is original, in most cases, I believe the doors are original, although the bottom rail has been cut off on this to such a degree, it looks as though it might have been for another opening. And that’s true on the door into the library.

Ibid.Transcript of Mr. Macomber’s description of the library is as follows:

Mr. Macomber: Now this room—the library—is a designed room.Mr. Netherton: By you, do you mean?Mr. Macomber: Yes.Mrs. Netherton: Do you know what the room was before?Mr. Macomber: Well, it was really plain.Mrs. Netherton: Is this an Adam mantelpiece?Mr. Macomber: You could call this an Adam mantel, although it’s not truly. It’s a mantel of about 1790.... This wood came from an old tavern near Peace Cross in Maryland. The building was torn down to make way for a large shopping center. This is all designed. This is a design of my own with the little dovetails which are a little affectation of mine. [Pointing to the entryway between the library and central hall.] At least part of this stair was original. The newel post and the balusters and the paneling under the first run of the stair are original, and the sheathing from that point up into the hall is a design, and was made right on the job by our carpenters.Mrs. Netherton: Did you lengthen these windows to the floor?Mr. Macomber: They were this way when we got the house, but they had been changed some time prior to 1942.Mrs. Netherton: The cupboard was part of the design, was it not?Mr. Macomber: Yes, it was, and I think this is one of the panels that came from Pennsylvania.... [Also] the paneled jamb from the library down into the living room came from this old building in Lancaster County [Pennsylvania]. And also the trim around the opening.

Mr. Macomber: Now this room—the library—is a designed room.

Mr. Netherton: By you, do you mean?

Mr. Macomber: Yes.

Mrs. Netherton: Do you know what the room was before?

Mr. Macomber: Well, it was really plain.

Mrs. Netherton: Is this an Adam mantelpiece?

Mr. Macomber: You could call this an Adam mantel, although it’s not truly. It’s a mantel of about 1790.... This wood came from an old tavern near Peace Cross in Maryland. The building was torn down to make way for a large shopping center. This is all designed. This is a design of my own with the little dovetails which are a little affectation of mine. [Pointing to the entryway between the library and central hall.] At least part of this stair was original. The newel post and the balusters and the paneling under the first run of the stair are original, and the sheathing from that point up into the hall is a design, and was made right on the job by our carpenters.

Mrs. Netherton: Did you lengthen these windows to the floor?

Mr. Macomber: They were this way when we got the house, but they had been changed some time prior to 1942.

Mrs. Netherton: The cupboard was part of the design, was it not?

Mr. Macomber: Yes, it was, and I think this is one of the panels that came from Pennsylvania.... [Also] the paneled jamb from the library down into the living room came from this old building in Lancaster County [Pennsylvania]. And also the trim around the opening.

The renovator’s description of the dining room included the following comments:

Mr. Macomber: The mantel is a mantel of the period, and I’m quite sure it was in this room. The butterfly cupboard beside it is a design that was added to the room, and designed and built and installed for this particular location. The dining room, being a small room, we planned the recess beside the fireplace for the sideboard and also to give a little more space in the room and in the pantry. The chair rail I’m sure is original and the door trim, but the cornice I installed. The base is original, in most cases, I believe the doors are original, although the bottom rail has been cut off on this to such a degree, it looks as though it might have been for another opening. And that’s true on the door into the library.

[93]Ibid.

Ibid.

[94]Ibid.Mr. Macomber’s recollection is that “I’m quite sure it came from the second floor because it’s the same as the door into the nursery room....” As to the door into the hallway, he notes that it originally had been painted dark blue-green.

Ibid.Mr. Macomber’s recollection is that “I’m quite sure it came from the second floor because it’s the same as the door into the nursery room....” As to the door into the hallway, he notes that it originally had been painted dark blue-green.

[95]Michael and Belinda Straight, interview of December 8, 1968. John Mosby Beattie recalls when animal fat was cooked in the fireplace of the old kitchen to make soap.

Michael and Belinda Straight, interview of December 8, 1968. John Mosby Beattie recalls when animal fat was cooked in the fireplace of the old kitchen to make soap.

[96]Walter Macomber, interview July 16, 1969.

Walter Macomber, interview July 16, 1969.

[97]Ibid.According to local tradition, the tavern near Peace Cross originally was a residence, then a tavern, a gambling house, and a bawdy house. While a gambling house, it was robbed, and shots were fired after the fleeing burglar. One of the shots went into the shutters, and the hole made by this shot is still visible in the portion of the shutter used as paneling in the living room.

Ibid.According to local tradition, the tavern near Peace Cross originally was a residence, then a tavern, a gambling house, and a bawdy house. While a gambling house, it was robbed, and shots were fired after the fleeing burglar. One of the shots went into the shutters, and the hole made by this shot is still visible in the portion of the shutter used as paneling in the living room.

50Tobey House Approach, Green Spring Farm

Tobey House Approach, Green Spring Farm

Tobey House, Patio and Fountain

Tobey House, InteriorFigure 14. Photos by Robert Lautman, c. 1960

51ASSOCIATED BUILDINGS

I. THE TOBEY HOUSE

The Tobey House is located approximately one-quarter mile east-southeast of the main house on Green Spring Farm. It was built in 1954 as a residence for Mrs. Charles W. Tobey, the mother of Mrs. Michael Straight and widow of the late distinguished United States Senator from New Hampshire. Prior to that time, Mrs. Tobey had resided part of the time in Washington and part of the time in Concord, New Hampshire, where she owned a spacious, gabled New England mansion built about 1750. In order for her to be nearer her daughter and grandchildren, arrangements were made by Michael Straight to have a small, modern, open-design house built for Mrs. Tobey on Green Spring Farm.[98]

Architectural plans were completed in the fall of 1953, and construction was completed in 1954. Here Mrs. Tobey lived with her housekeeper, Miss Frances McFall, from 1954 to 1968.[99]

The house originally was comprised of a living-dining room, kitchen, two bedrooms, bath, and utility (heater) room. In 1957, however, it was expanded by the addition of another living room, bathroom, and utility room. At this time, also, the carport was relocated, and terraces were created on the east and west sides of the house. The result was to enlarge the living space within the house and to create an arrangement whereby a living room, bath, and utility room could be partitioned off (by a folding door) to make a guest suite. The addition of the semienclosed areas adjacent to the house, with their flagstone terraces and fountain pool, made for the enjoyment of outdoor activities.

Inside the house, the design and decor encouraged the feeling of closeness to the outdoors by the location of window space and the use of floor-to-ceiling glass walls at points where the landscaped surroundings of the house could be seen from the inside; and paneled walls provided a neutral yet sympathetic background for many fine pieces of antique furniture and other artifacts which Mrs. Tobey brought from New Hampshire. Also, use of horizontal ship-lap siding for the exterior gives a suggestion of New England clapboards.

Following her residence in the house from 1954 to 1968, Mrs. Tobey moved to Washington, D.C., and the house was occupied by tenants.

52Figure 15. Tobey House Floor Plans, 1957

Figure 15. Tobey House Floor Plans, 1957

First Section, 1954

Located in the southeast corner of Green Spring Farm, the Tobey House enjoys a setting of generally open, slightly rolling countryside.[100]This setting is preserved on the land which comprises the farm. Beyond these limits, however, the neighborhood of the farm has experienced a rapid and drastic53transition in the 1950’s and 1960’s. As a result, its predominantly rural character has been largely replaced by tracts of subdivisions composed of single-family dwellings on lots ranging from one-fifth to one-half acre of land. At the same time, the Little River Turnpike (Route 236) has attracted extensive roadside commercial development, resulting in increased highway traffic generated by the intensified density of land use. This has accentuated the importance of the farm’s buffer space in preserving the tranquility and natural beauty which the owner and architect sought for the Tobey House.

The site of the house is set back from the Little River Turnpike approximately one-eighth mile and is connected with the pike by its own driveway. The driveway approaches the house from the southwest where the view first is of the carport and the 1957 addition. The immediate vicinity of the house has been left relatively open to provide a feeling of spaciousness when viewed from inside the house. Landscaped trees and shrubs located around the house preserve this feeling of an open natural setting while providing cover for the house and terraces.

Since it was Mrs. Tobey’s desire to enjoy the site as well as the house, the general design of the house contains features specifically aimed to permit this. On the east side, the flagstone terrace and fountain pool are partially covered by the overhang of the flat roof and a trellis. On the west side of the house, a covered flagstone walkway from house to the carport runs between a hedge and fence on one side and a small courtyard with flower beds and trees on the other. In the living room added in 1957, the only opening is a large picture window set in a bay which contains a planter box with living plants.

Architecturally, the house is of particular interest because its basic objective of facilitating an indoor-outdoor style of living is achieved with simple, open lines and harmonious materials.[101]Set upon a concrete slab, the wooden walls of the house are overlaid with wooden beams placed so as to intersect and create the appearance of squares and rectangular modules on the ceiling. A flat wooden deck roof rests on these beams. No prefabricated units were utilized in the construction of the house, and all pieces were individually specified, cut, and fitted together.

The architect for the Tobey House was David Condon, AIA, of Keyes, Lethbridge & Condon, Washington, D.C. The landscape architect was Eric Paepcke of Washington, D.C. Interior design was done by Top Recker and Patricia Holsaert. Construction was performed by Hayes Brothers of Herndon, Virginia (figures 14 and 15).

The overall dimensions of the house are 70 by 25 feet; the carport measures 11 by 21 feet.54Exterior walls are gray stained cypress, laid on horizontally in ship-lap style, with white trim. Full-length glass panels serve as walls in the section of the house called “the gallery,” facing the terrace on the east side of the house.

The fountain pool in the east side terrace measures 6 by 13 feet. The pool water does not recirculate but is piped from the house water supply and can be controlled by a faucet.

A wooden post and rail ranch fence encloses the field where the house is located.

Pine and plane trees are planted for shade near the house and screening from the highway on the west side. Wisteria is planted for the trellis over the terrace on the west side of the house to shield it from the afternoon sun. In the immediate vicinity of the house, vinca minor (periwinkle) is used as ground cover.

The Tobey House contains 2,062 square feet of floor space.

Room arrangements for the original structure and following the addition in 1957 are shown in figure 15.

Interior walls are of vertical cypress paneling, and floors are wooden parquet. Ceilings have exposed beam and plank construction.

Interior features when Mrs. Tobey was in residence included wood carvings from a Scandinavian sailing ship salvaged when it sank off the New England Coast.

Woodburning fireplaces are located in the living room of the original portion of the house (now used as a study) and the living room of the 1957 addition.

The house is centrally heated with radiant heat from the floor. No central air conditioning was provided in the original portion; but, when the addition was built in 1957, central air conditioning was provided for it and ducts were extended into the living room of the original portion. Window air-conditioning units were installed in the bedrooms.

55II. THE BARN

Located approximately 200 feet northeast of the main house is a two-story frame barn. Its date of construction is not certain, but it is known to have been present when the Straights acquired the farm in 1942. During the occupancy of the farm by the Straights, the barn was converted into a laundry and a maid’s apartment. As renovated for this purpose, the first floor of the barn contained space and equipment for the laundry, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The second floor contained living quarters and a bathroom. Access to the second floor was by an exterior stairway (figure 17).

Overall dimensions of the barn are 14½ by 24½ feet. Its construction is frame with eight-inch siding laid on vertically and two-inch battens used to cover and seal the joints. The exterior is stained brown with no trim. The exterior stairway is constructed of wood and leads to a second floor entrance in the center of the east end of the building. The stairway is in two segments. One, on the south side, reaches from the ground to a landing at the corner of the building; the other, on the east side, reaches from the landing to the entrance door. The peak of the roof is approximately 17½ feet from the ground.

57III. THE LOG CABIN

Located approximately 90 feet northeast of the main house is a small one-story house of log construction. Its date of construction is uncertain, although it is possible that this building is the “Servants’ House” referred to in the notice of the commissioner’s sale of the farm following the death of William Moss in 1835.[102]

During the Straights’ occupancy of the farm, the cabin was renovated and converted into a guest house. During the later years, their son, David, lived in the cabin.

The renovation carried out by the Straights resulted in enlargement and reframing of the windows, reconstruction of the existing door on the west side, and reconstruction of the brick chimney at the north end of the building. At the same time, another doorway was added on the east side (figure 18).

Figure 19. Spring House Floor Plans, 1960

59IV. THE SPRING HOUSE

References to a spring house appear frequently in descriptions of Green Spring Farm during the nineteenth century.[103]The well watered character of the farm, possessing springs of its own and traversed by Turkey Cock Run, was an advantage of great value to all its owners. Quite possibly the presence of the springs was decisive in enabling both the Mosses and Fountain Beattie to make dairying a substantial part of the farm’s operations. In the 1830’s, many of the types of equipment and utensils typically used in making and preserving butter, cheese, and fresh milk were listed in inventories of personal property at the farm. During this period and later, the presence of the Little River Turnpike would have made it feasible to sell dairy products regularly in Alexandria, six miles away, and in the District of Columbia, nine miles away.[104]It is equally likely that a spring house was also one of the focal points of the farm’s cider and brandy-making activities at those times when the orchards flourished.

After the sale of the farm by Fountain Beattie in 1917, the level of its operations gradually decreased. By 1940, the spring house stood unused, as neither dairying nor orchard activities were carried on. Therefore, when the Straights ordered the renovation of the main house in 1942, it was suggested that the spring house be converted into a residence for the farm’s caretaker.

Conversion of the spring house into a residence was carried out under the direction of Walter Macomber of Washington, D.C., who also had been in charge of remodeling the main house. Using the basic stone shell of the house, which was structurally sound, a two-story house was designed with living room, bedroom, kitchen, and utility (heater) room on the first floor and a bedroom, bathroom, and storage area on the second floor.[105](See figure 19.) In this work, new materials were used, except that slate shingles taken from the main house (where the roof was being replaced) were used for roofing the spring house.

In 1961, the second major remodeling of the house enlarged it and attempted to reduce the dampness due to its location in the midst of the springs. The architects for this work were Keyes, Lethbridge & Condon of Washington, D.C. As a result of this work, the roof was raised to permit construction of a new bedroom and storage room on the second floor. On the first floor, enclosure of a porch permitted the addition of a bathroom and closet to the downstairs bedroom. Substantial remodeling of the kitchen was also undertaken, in which a closet was converted into cabinets, new flooring was laid, and new kitchen fixtures were installed.

The original portion of the spring house is constructed of stone, with stucco exterior finish. The frame addition is covered with rough-sawn redwood lap siding over half-inch vapor-sealed sheathing. The roofing for this portion of the house is slate shingles, matching the slate roof of the original portion which used shingles taken from the mansion house when it was renovated in 1942. Copper gutters and downspouts were installed in 1961, as was copper flashing at the base of the chimney.

[98]Title to the property on which the house was built remained in Michael and Belinda Straight.

Title to the property on which the house was built remained in Michael and Belinda Straight.

[99]“A New House with Young Ideas,”House and Garden, December 1958.

“A New House with Young Ideas,”House and Garden, December 1958.

[100]David Condon, AIA, interview December 12, 1969. Initially it was proposed to locate the house with its back to a line of trees separating the upper and lower portions of the pasture west of the main farm house. This would have taken advantage of the view to the west of the house, considered to be its best view. Ultimately, however, the house was located in the lower pasture, closer to the Little River Turnpike but screened from the highway by a line of trees planted for that purpose.

David Condon, AIA, interview December 12, 1969. Initially it was proposed to locate the house with its back to a line of trees separating the upper and lower portions of the pasture west of the main farm house. This would have taken advantage of the view to the west of the house, considered to be its best view. Ultimately, however, the house was located in the lower pasture, closer to the Little River Turnpike but screened from the highway by a line of trees planted for that purpose.

[101]Ibid.This is the opinion of David Condon, who served as architect for both the original building and its subsequent addition. He notes that the building’s style was rare in the Eastern United States, although it had appeared and was popular on the West Coast.

Ibid.This is the opinion of David Condon, who served as architect for both the original building and its subsequent addition. He notes that the building’s style was rare in the Eastern United States, although it had appeared and was popular on the West Coast.

[102]Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1839, advertisement.

Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1839, advertisement.

[103]Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1839, advertisement; John Mosby Beattie, interview April 17, 1969.

Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1839, advertisement; John Mosby Beattie, interview April 17, 1969.

[104]John Schlebecker, Curator, Division of Agriculture and Mining, Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Interview held February 26, 1969.

John Schlebecker, Curator, Division of Agriculture and Mining, Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Interview held February 26, 1969.

[105]Walter Macomber, interview July 16, 1968. It appears that no drawings were made of the spring house as it appeared before its conversion into a caretaker’s residence, and no plans have been preserved to show the construction undertaken for the conversion.

Walter Macomber, interview July 16, 1968. It appears that no drawings were made of the spring house as it appeared before its conversion into a caretaker’s residence, and no plans have been preserved to show the construction undertaken for the conversion.

62Figure 20. Fairfax County Property Identification Map, 1969, Green Spring Farm, Quadrant 72-1.

Figure 20. Fairfax County Property Identification Map, 1969, Green Spring Farm, Quadrant 72-1.

County of Fairfax, Virginia Seal

63APPENDIX ACOMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIACounty of FairfaxHISTORIC LANDMARKS SURVEY

64APPENDIX BGREEN SPRING FARM HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP

66APPENDIX CWILL OF JOHN MOSS, 1809

Fairfax County Superior Court Willbook No. 1, pp. 1-3.

“In the name of God Amen I John Moss of the County of Fairfax and State of Virginia do hereby make and Ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following to wit I give to my son John Moss the plantation whereon he now lives which was leased by me of the late RevdBryan Fairfax and the service of my Negro man Nat until the period arrives when he is to go out free agreeable to a Deed of Manumition Recorded in Fairfax County Court upon his paying his sister Frances Middleton Fifty Dollars which with what I have heretofore given him I consider as his full part of my estate. Item having already given my daughter Frances Middleton a lease I held under the said Bryan Fairfax Deceased known as Buck Spring and a negro woman by the name of Maria as long as she has to serve under the before mentioned Deed of Manumition I now give and bequeath unto her as her full part of my estate the sum of Fifty Dollars to be paid her by her brother John Moss in twelve months after my Decease provided the said negro man Nat given him shall survive me and come to the actual possession of my son John Moss. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Robert Moss and his heirs forever the plantation whereon he now lives so as to include one third part of the lands I purchased of Daniel Summers and Baldwin Dade agreeable to the deed I have made him also two acres on the south side of the Turnpike to be laid off along the line of West and to join the land I have before given him. In order to afford an outlet to the Turnpike Road, and as the word (also) may be understood to imply my Intention is to give him those two acres more than his third part before-mentioned I declare it is not but that they are to be included in the same. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Gideon Moss and my grand Daughter Elizabeth K. Moss two hundred Dollars each to be paid them or their heirs in eighteen months after my Decease which with what I gave their father in his lifetime I consider and hereby declare to be their full part of my Estate. Item I give to wife Ann Moss during her natural life the use of all the rest and residue of my Estate real, personal and mixed for the support of her and such of my daughters as may be at the time of my Death unmarried and after her decease I give and bequeath unto my Sons William Moss and Thomas Moss and their heirs forever the residue of the lands purchased by me of the aforementioned Summers and Dade to be divided between them as follows: Beginning on the Turnpike road adjoining the two acres given my son Robert Moss for an Outlet thence down the said road opposite to my gate thence a southerly course to a small Drain about fifteen poles from the Turnpike road by the name of Crumps Branch thence down the said Branch and bending therewith to the intersection of the Dividing line of the lands purchased by me of the before-mentioned Summers and Dade thence with the said line eastwardly to where it crosses the Turkey Branch thence up the said branch with the Several Courses of my deed from the said Summers to the Intersection of West’s line thence with the line to the beginning which several courses include that part of my land I wish my son Thomas to enjoy all but the houses where John Powell now lives with four acres adjoining it I add to the lands I intended for my daughters Patsy, Mary and Anne and in case it should exceed one third part of my purchase from the said Summers and Dade then I direct that my son Thomas Moss do pay to his brother William Moss at the rate of Twenty five Dollars for every acre that may be included in his said lott over and above one third part of the said two purchases of Summers and Dade. Item I give and bequeath to my three daughters Patty Moss, Mary Moss and Anne Moss and their heirs forever after my wife’s Decease the whole of the lands I purchased of William H. Terrett to be equally divided including the homes and four acres adjoining (as mentionedbefore) between them and two thirds parts of the whole of my personal estate be divided between them and their heirs forever. Item the rest and residue or the One third part of my personal67estate after my wife’s decease I give and bequeath unto my three sons Robert Moss, William Moss and Thomas Moss to be equally Divided between them and their heirs & lastly I appoint my wife Ann Moss executrix and my sons Robert Moss, William Moss and Thomas Moss executors of my last will and testament hereby revoking all other and former wills by me heretofore made In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this fourteenth day of November Anno 1808 Present

JohnMossSEAL ”

The will was presented by William Moss on October 25, 1809. William Moss, George Mason, Joseph Powell and Reezen Wilcoxen set a bond of $22,000 to guarantee that William Moss make a true and perfect inventory of all goods, chattles, and credits of the deceased and do well and truly pay and deliver all legacies specified in the will.

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