Long Branch is a historic family seat in Millwood,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

built in the early 19th century. Named after the creek that runs through the property, Long Branch was built on approximately 1,000 acres (currently 400 acres) by Robert Carter Burwell in 1811 and was owned by the Burwell-Nelson family until 1957. The property was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

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 King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

, granted the original tract of the

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The P ...

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 common surname ...

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

, and

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

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 a British-American Neoclassical architecture, neoclassical architect who immigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in ...

during construction. After the start of construction of the

plantation house A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and ...

, Burwell left in the summer of 1813 to fight in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

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

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

. 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 is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, 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, and was a

vestryman A vestryman is a member of his local church's vestry, or leading body.Anstice, Henry (1914). ''What Every Warden and Vestryman Should Know.'' Church literature press He is not a member of the clergy.Potter, Henry Codman (1890). ''The Offices of W ...

at 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 (CSA), 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), fi ...

. After fighting in the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...

, Nelson fell sick with

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

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. After the war, Adelaide discovered the debt and was in danger of losing Long Branch. The

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

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 Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

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 classical architecture built in the United States following the American Revolution between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was influenced heavily by the works of And ...

, two-story,

Flemish bond Flemish bond is a pattern of brickwork that is a common feature in Georgian architecture. The pattern features bricks laid lengthwise (''stretchers'') alternating with bricks laid with their shorter ends exposed (''headers'') within the same cou ...

, 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, Zi ...

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 cu ...

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 ...

and the north portico has Tuscan columns. The east wing was a service wing with an open

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...

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 Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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 in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

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''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

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 domesticate ...

, and various other grains dominated the region.

Wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

served as the most prominent

cash crop A cash crop, also called 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 a marketed crop from a staple crop ("subsi ...

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 nearby

Burwell-Morgan Mill Burwell-Morgan Mill, also known as the Millwood Mill, is a historic grist mill located at Millwood, Clarke County, Virginia, USA. It was built about 1785 by Gen. Daniel Morgan and Lt. Col. Nathaniel Burwell, who both served in the American Rev ...

in Millwood and transported to the markets in

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

before being shipped to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. 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 plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

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

, 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 * Vi ...

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 curing (food preservation), cured with Smoking (cooking), smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.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 rink, a facility for ice skating. * Ice hockey arena, an area where ice hockey i ...

, 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 which is accessible from the ground, on two separate levels. Often built into the side of a hill or bank, the upper and the lower floors could both be accessed from the ground, one area at the top of ...

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.

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 The Thoroughbred is a horse breed developed for horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are considered ...

and

Clydesdales The Clydesdale is a breed of draught horse which originated in the seventeenth century, and takes its name from the Clydesdale district of Scotland. The first recorded use of the name "Clydesdale" for the breed was in 1826; the horses spread t ...

. 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 is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, 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.J ...

. At least one family was rehired after

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

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 (Virginia) Brick buildings and structures in Virginia Millwood, Virginia