Long Branch is a historic family seat in Millwood,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

built in the early 19th century; named after the creek that runs through the property. Built on approximately 1000 acres (currently 400 acres) by Robert Carter Burwell in 1811 and owned by the Burwell-Nelson family until 1957. The property was placed on the National Register on October 1, 1969.

History

On September 18, 1650,

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

, granted the original tract of the Northern Neck of Virginia, to seven followers including Lord Culpepper. On September 7, 1688, after acquiring the interests of the remaining grantees, Lord Culpepper was recognized as the sole owner of the Northern Neck. This land passed to his grandson Thomas, 6th Lord of Fairfax and was managed by him until his death in 1781. Robert Carter, familiarly known as "King Carter" was appointed agent for the sale and lease of unoccupied areas of the Fairfax proprietary. On September 22, 1730, acting as Fairfax's agent, he executed a deed to ten of his sons and grandsons: 50,212 acres of land in what are now

Clarke Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the Latin . Variants include Clerk and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name. Irish surname origin Clarke is a popular surname i ...

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

, and Frederick Counties, Virginia. In 1740 the land was split into eight lots and divided into approximately the same size lots. Robert "Robin" Burwell, a grandson to King Carter, received 5,619 acres of the land. Robert "Robin" Burwell left his land to his son Nathaniel and to his grandson Robert Carter Burwell. In 1769, Robin Burwell conveyed half of his land to his son Nathaniel, who later sold it in 1771. After Robin Burwell's death, controversy erupted over who owned various portions of the original grant. In 1798, after the legal problems had been sorted out, Robert Carter Burwell inherited his grandfather's land of about 1,000 acres lying roughly between Long Branch Creek and Rattlesnake Spring. Around 1790, Robert Cater Burwell established Long Branch Plantation and began farming wheat. During the early years of the plantation, Burwell lived with his sister and brother-in-law just north of Long Branch at Rattlesnake Plantation, currently known as Rosney. In the beginning of the 19th century Burwell began to plan his own home, just south of Rosney near Long Branch Creek. In 1811, Burwell had planned a large, two-story brick home with an east wing. Burwell consulted with architect,

Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was an Anglo-American neoclassical architect who emigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, draw ...

during construction. After the start of construction of the plantation house, Burwell left in the summer of 1813 to fight in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

. He died later that year of diseases he contracted while stationed in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. He willed his land to his sister, Sarah Nelson and her husband Philip. It is unknown whether Burwell finished construction of the mansion before his death or if Sarah and Philip continued construction upon their inheritance. In 1842, Philip Nelson sold Long Branch to his nephew, Hugh Mortimer Nelson and his wife Anna Maria Adelaide Holker. This was the first time Long Branch changed hands in a financial transaction and the last until 1957. When Hugh M. Nelson and his wife Adelaide moved to Long Branch with their three-year-old daughter, Nannie, they started a large renovation and expansion of the property. In 1847, Hugh Nelson Jr. was born. After moving to Virginia from

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, Hugh and Adelaide took to life as Virginia planters and assumed a leading role within Millwood's society. Hugh Nelson took command of the Clarke Cavalry, served as a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

, and was a vestryman for the Christ Church. Their position in Millwood's society came with considerable expense. As early as 1850, Nelson started to take out loans against Long Branch. He took out several debts and left many bills unpaid. There is little evidence that Adelaide knew of any financial troubles. In 1861, Hugh M. Nelson organized the Clarke Cavalry and reported for duty to fight with the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. After fighting in the Seven Days Battles, Nelson fell sick with

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

and died on August 6, 1862. Long Branch escaped much damage during the war. Reports of the fields being burned was the extent of any damage done. left, 250px, Handbill publicizing the public auction of Long Branch After the war, Adelaide discovered the debt and was in danger of losing Long Branch. The

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

had decreased in value. In 1860, Long Branch was assessed for $103,600 (~$ in ). By 1870, it had decreased to the value of $45,000 (~$ in ). In 1867, after much legal battle, the courts had ordered the personal effects of Hugh Sr. be put to auction. Adelaide and her son, Hugh Nelson Jr. bought back the majority of the plantations possessions. In 1869, the courts ordered that the house and farm where auctioned off to pay off the remaining debts. The land was auctioned off in two plats, half of the land in one and 280 acres with the house and old buildings. Adelaide was the only bidder for the lot with the house. Eight months after Adelaide died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in 1875, Hugh Nelson Jr. bought back the other half of the farm and the entire farm was restored to the family by court decree in 1884. Isaacs

Hugh Nelson Jr. and his wife, Sallie Page Nelson, lived at Long Branch and established a reputation for their hospitality and entertaining. After the death of Hugh Nelson Jr. in 1915, Sallie Page Nelson remained at Long Branch until her death in 1951. In August 1957, Long Branch was sold to Abram and Dorothy Hewitt. At the time of the sale, Long Branch had deteriorated and the Hewitt's worked to repair and renovate the house. They lived at Long Branch, raising their four sons until 1978 when they sold Long Branch to two doctors from California. In 1982, they sold to a Texas businessman and horse breeder. The condition of Long Branch had deteriorated significantly and the mortgage defaulted on. Once again, Long Branch was auctioned on the steps of the Clarke County Courthouse. In 1986, Harry Z. Isaacs, a Baltimore textile executive and horse breeder, purchased the house and land for $1.35 million (~$ in ). Isaacs began an extensive restoration of Long Branch. Shortly after the start of the restoration, Isaacs learned he had terminal cancer. Upon his death, he left the house and 400-acres to a non-profit foundation and opened Long Branch to the public. Long Branch before east wing

Architecture

Built in 1811, Long Branch is a

Federal style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several inn ...

, two-story, Flemish bond, brick mansion. The symmetrical façade has seen little changes over the years. The south façade was the original front of the house; changing after Harry Isaacs constructed new roads throughout the property. The

belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa *Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco *Belvedere, Harare, Zim ...

and front and back

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

s were added in 1845 by Hugh M. and Adelaide Nelson. The south portico boasts

Ionic columns The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composite or ...

and the north portico has Tuscan columns. The east wing was a service wing with an open loggia that was enclosed in the Nelson renovation of 1845. They added the woodwork in the parlor and original dining room, which is based on the designs of Minard Lefever's pattern books and has been called "some of the most beautiful examples of

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

woodwork in the nation." Hugh M. Nelson also added the hanging spiral staircase and the columns in the entrance hall. Indoor plumbing was added some time before 1915, with two identical bathrooms on the first and second floors were added to the northwest rooms. Electricity and a modern kitchen were added after

WWII World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Hewitt's made improvements to the house and updated its amenities without altering the structure. Harry Z. Isaacs made a number of changes to Long Branch. He added the west wing to balance the exterior of the house and completed a number of extensive reconstructions. Structural issues required the south wall of the east wing to be rebuilt. The east wing dining room was enlarged and the size of the kitchen reduced. A stairwell to the basement was removed to make a pantry. Isaac's restoration involved the removal and replacement of existing materials and features. The brick sidewalks, shutters, columns, portico details and features, chimneys, roofing, gutters, exterior brick, and mantels were all replaced with modern reconstructions.

Benjamin Latrobe

Latrobe commented on Burwell's plans and made a number of criticisms. He noted the location of the dining room and bedroom on the north side of the house. "In the summer you will be plagued in the evening after dinner by the western sun, and in the winter by the N. West wind." The largest criticism was the lack of a servant staircase in Burwell's plans. Without a second stair, servants would be unable to go upstairs without using the main staircase and crossing the central hall. The back staircase to the left of the central stair is believed to be a direct result of Latrobe's comments. Overall Latrobe described the Long Branch plans as, "infinitely a better one than almost any other which I have seen adopted in Virginia, and the house would be a good one without any alteration." While Latrobe made comments to the plans Burwell sent them, there is no evidence that Latrobe ever visited the site or directly drew plans for Long Branch.

Grounds

Agriculture

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

was a productive and expanding agricultural region. The Valley farmers took advantage of the fertile land and created a booming commercial agricultural industry.

Corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

hay Hay is grass, legumes, or other herbaceous plants that have been cut and dried to be stored for use as animal fodder, either for large grazing animals raised as livestock, such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep, or for smaller domesticated ...

, and various other grains dominated the region.

Wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

served as the most prominent

cash crop A cash crop or profit crop is an Agriculture, agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") ...

in the valley. The owners of Long Branch capitalized on this market and maintained a wheat plantation into the mid-19th century. The wheat from Long Branch was likely ground at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood and transported to the markets in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

before being shipped to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Records show, that while wheat was the main crop at Long Branch, corn was a secondary crop for the plantation. Letters written by the residents of Long Branch explain their hope for the corn after the wheat crop failed. Over the years, Long Branch has raised a variety of livestock including, cow, sheep, horses, pigs, and chickens.

Gardens

Through the 1800s much of Long Branch's land was taken up by the wheat plantation. The main house was supported by a greenhouse (burned down in 1861), orchards, and kitchen gardens. Records show that

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

chrysanthemums Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center ...

, and

violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Viol ...

s were grown on the property. The orchard had cherries, plums, and peaches. The kitchen gardens grew a variety of vegetables and herbs. By the 1930s the gardens were lost, however, the Hewitts reintroduced the flower and kitchen gardens to Long Branch. In 1997, the Sheila Macqueen Gardens were established at Long Branch. The flower gardens are dedicated to the notable British flower arranger, Sheila Macqueen. The gardens feature herbs, hellebores, hostas, Constance Spry Roses, and a variety of plant species native to Macqueen's English Gardens. Today the gardens are sustained by the Sheila Macqueen Flower Ladies.

Outbuildings

Pictorial records and oral histories indicate that Long Branch had a grouping of outbuildings fairly close to the house. Various owners have built and demolished these outbuildings over the years. Up to the mid-20th century a number of buildings had survived. These include the summer kitchen, slave quarters, privy,

smokehouse A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with t ...

icehouse Icehouse or ice house may refer to: * Ice house (building), a building where ice is stored * Ice shanty, a shelter for ice fishing also known as an ''Icehouse'' * Ice skating rink, a facility for ice skating. * Ice hockey arena, an area where ice ...

, and two carriage barns. An 1868 auction handbill states that Long Branch had an overseers' house, laborers' houses, blacksmith shop, and barns and stables. A greenhouse was located on the property but burned in 1861. The summer kitchen collapsed in 1965 and an office was rebuilt in its place and was paneled with wood from an old sheep shed. A

bank barn A bank barn or banked barn is a style of barn noted for its accessibility, at ground level, on two separate levels. Often built into the side of a hill, or bank, both the upper and the lower floors area could be accessed from ground level, one are ...

survived until 1971 when it burned down. Only the smokehouse and springhouse remain. A pool was added by the Hewitts' and later taken out by Isaacs. Harry Isaacs constructed numerous outbuildings that stand today. The large horse barn, a machinery shed, two garages, and two houses near the north and south entrances of the property. left, 200px, Broadside advertising Clydesdales at Long Branch Plantation in 1883

Horses

Horses have been an integral part of the history at Long Branch. Originally horses were used to help plow the fields and pull carriages. Hugh Nelson Jr. was an avid horse breeder, raising thoroughbreds and

Clydesdales The Clydesdale is a Scottish breed of draught horse. It is named for its area of origin, the Clydesdale or valley of the River Clyde, much of which is within the county of Lanarkshire. The origins of the breed lie in the eighteenth century, w ...

. Abram Hewitt and Harry Isaacs continued the horse breeding tradition at Long Branch, each having their own well-known operations. Today, Long Branch has an extensive boarding program for the care of retired sport horses.

Slavery

As a large wheat plantation, Long Branch used enslaved workers to tend to the fields as well as the families house and gardens. At the peak of operation, the plantation utilized 20-30 slaves for the planting and harvesting of the crop. In addition to the main farming tasks, slaves also tended to the flower and kitchen gardens and helped with the maintenance and cleaning of the mansion. The residents of Long Branch utilized slave labor until the end of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. At least one family was rehired after emancipation to continue as free labor on the farm.Census of 1870, Handley Library

Museum

After his death in 1990, Harry Z. Issacs left Long Branch to a non-profit foundation. The Harry Z. Isaacs foundation has headquarters in Baltimore with a local board of directors. Tyson Gilpin, chaired the board of directors, oversaw the daily operation of the estate and Colette Poisson, as assistant to Isaacs, became the curator. On April 3, 1993, Long Branch was opened to the public. In 2013, Long Branch underwent an extensive update to the museum. The museum installed new history exhibits and period rooms with an updated self-guided tour and new museum programming. Long Branch Historic House and Farm hosts many special events and weddings on location.

References

External links

Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Branch Greek Revival houses in Virginia Federal architecture in Virginia Houses in Clarke County, Virginia Plantations in Virginia Plantation houses in Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Clarke County, Virginia Historic house museums in Virginia Benjamin Henry Latrobe buildings and structures Museums in Clarke County, Virginia Slave cabins and quarters in the United States Burwell family of Virginia