Several asked if the George Washington Southern Tour sign in the post before this one was in my home town. The answer is yes.
According to an article in Chronicals of Pitt County Vol. II, by W. Keats Sparrow, Shadrack Allen’s home was possibly near my home. They think it was located on County Home Road between Helens Crossroads and Coxville.
Colonel Shadrack Allen, Jr. was one of Pitt County’s more prominent citizens. And although the Allen’s grandson referred to his grandparents house as a “mansion,” President Washington described it as “ a very indifferent house without stabling which for the first time since I commenced my journey my horses were obliged to stand without cover.”
The Allen’s home was such a favorite resting place for travelers that it was called Colonel Allen’s Inn. This inn was demolished long ago.
11 comments:
It is sad to think of all the historic homes that have been destroyed. Sometimes they get too expensive to restore, which is a shame.
thanks for the info!
I don't think Old George ever bothered to come to the Eastern Shore of VA... but we do have the Custis tomb...
Silly me... I lost the page before I added this for those who do not know the history of Custis' Tomb -
John Custis (August 1678-after 14 November 1749) was a powerful member of the colonial Virginia governor's Council. The son of John Custis (ca. 1654-1714), who was also a member of the governor's Council, and Margaret Michael Custis, Custis was born in Northampton County, Virginia. On 4 May 1706 he married Frances Parke, the elder daughter and heiress of Daniel Parke, governor of the Leeward Islands.
Custis moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, by 1717. There he created a magnificent four-acre garden and corresponded with many celebrated horticulturists and naturalists. Custis served on the governor's Council from 1727 until increasingly ill health forced him to request to be suspended in August 1749. He died soon after completing his will on 14 November 1749. At his request, he was buried on the Eastern Shore of Virginia at the Arlington plantation. In his will Custis instructed his son, on pain of being cut off with only one shilling, to place on his marble tomb the wording that Custis had "Yet lived but Seven years which was the Space of time he kept a Batchelors [sic] House at Arlington on the Eastern Shoar [sic] of Virginia. This Inscription put on this Stone by his own positive Orders."
His only surviving son, Daniel Parke Custis, was the first husband of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington.
How interesting, Ann! And George Washington wasn't that impressed with the Allen mansion. No stables for his horses.
I really enjoyed this post.
Have a great Thursday!
Renie
Interesting!
Ann,
This is a very interesting post. I am a history buff and enjoyed hearing about the Inn.
Take care, my friend and thank you for your comments on my Christmas memories.
Blessings for a great rest of the week.
Mary
Interesting piece of news.
Thanks for your kind comments.
I gave you an award!
I agree with Meggie -
So many old places of historic value have been destroyed. My city, Marietta, has had a hard time trying to keep a few homes of historic value - yes, mainly because of the cost of restoration - and many homes were not spared. This includes battlefields - the entire county was a war zone during the (un)civil war. Many subdivisions are built on top of what was once part of battlefields.
I don't think that we have anything of the era of the revolutionary war (era of George Washington). Marietta did not exist, and in general, the area/locality is just too young.
So you're lucky in this respect, Ann.
Isn't History a fun thing to delve into? I love it when I find out something of great interest about where I live!
Thanks for sharing and catching us up!
Sandi
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