Daniel Harrison House, also known as Fort Harrison, is a historic home located near

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

, Rockingham County, Virginia. The original structure was built in 1748 as a two-story, three bay

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

dwelling, with a steep gable roof and wide chimney caps. A brick extension was added in the early 1800s. It was originally surrounded by a palisade and was reported to have an underground passage to the nearby spring. During the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

, the legislature of Virginia designated the house and surrounding property "Fort Harrison." The house is one of the oldest in the Shenandoah Valley, and is closely associated with the early history of Rockingham County. The home's original owner, Captain Daniel Harrison, was one of the first to use the plentiful supply of limestone for building. His stone house is referred to in one of his first deeds, dated February 28, 1749, in Rockingham County Deed Book 2, p. 586 - "Daniel Harrison, Gent. to Arthur Johnson, 190 acres; 10 acres; Cook's Creek–Harrison's stonehouse". In 1745, Captain Harrison was appointed by the Court of Orange County, along with brother John and Robert Cravens, as overseer to lay out and clear the old Indian Road – "The Long Grey Trail" – through what is now Rockingham County. This was destined to be the most traveled highway in the Shenandoah Valley. In 1751, Capt. Harrison became Under Sheriff of Augusta CountyHarrison, J. Houston (1975), ''Settlers by the Long Grey Trail'', Genealogical Publ. Co., p. 197. The site was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1973. Fort Harrison is open to the public on Friday and Saturday in the summer and by appointment.

References

External links

Fort Harrison
- official site French and Indian War forts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Houses completed in 1748 Houses in Rockingham County, Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Rockingham County, Virginia Museums in Rockingham County, Virginia Historic house museums in Virginia Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia 1748 establishments in Virginia {{Virginia-museum-stub