Abram's Delight facts for kids
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Abram's Delight
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Abram's Delight, February 2022
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1340 S. Pleasant Valley Road Winchester, Virginia |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1754 |
| Built by | Simon Taylor |
| Architectural style | Colonial vernacular |
| NRHP reference No. | 73002230 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1973 |
Abram's Delight is a very old house in Winchester, Virginia. It was built way back in 1754. This makes it the oldest house in the city! The Hollingsworth family owned it for nearly 200 years. The house shows the typical style of homes built by Scotch-Irish settlers in the Shenandoah Valley.
Abram's Delight was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1972. It also joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today, you can visit Abram's Delight as a historic house museum.
Contents
The Story of Abram's Delight
In 1728, a man named Abraham Hollingsworth came to the Shenandoah Valley. He was a Quaker from Ireland. He settled in what is now Winchester. Around 1732, he received a large piece of land, about 582 acres. He later had to work out the land deal with Lord Fairfax. Lord Fairfax owned all the land between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers.
Some people believe Abraham also paid the local Shawnee tribe for the land. He gave them a cow, a calf, and a piece of red cloth. Abraham Hollingsworth is known as the founder of Winchester. He said his new land was a "delight to behold." He built a simple log cabin near a natural spring. This cabin was just west of where the current house stands. The cabin is gone now, but you can still see its old hand-dug well.
Historians think a wooden fence, called a stockade, once surrounded his home. They also believe he started building the main house before he died in 1748. His wife, Ann Robinson, inherited the property. She passed away the next year. Their son, Isaac, then took over the property. Isaac was a Quaker minister. He planned for the house to be a meeting place for Quakers.
Simon Taylor was chosen to build the house. He had just finished building Springdale for Colonel John Hite. Springdale is now the oldest house in Frederick County. Both houses have similar stonework. Quakers used to hold their meetings in the Hollingsworth house. The men would sit in the parlor, and the women would sit in the dining room.
Growing the House and Family
Isaac's son, Jonah Hollingsworth, later inherited the property. He and his wife, Hannah, had thirteen children! They needed more space for their big family. Around 1800, they added a new section, called a west wing, to the house. The stone used for the new part looked very much like the original stone.
In 1830, one of their sons, David, became the owner. David was a successful businessman and a leader in the community. He made many improvements to the house and the land around it. He built a lake on the south side of the property. He even built a small summer house on one of the islands in the lake.
David's three children inherited the property in 1863. This was two years after the Civil War began. Many homes in Winchester were damaged during the war. The Hollingsworth home also suffered. Most of the trees on the property were cut down. The farm animals were taken, and the farmland was left uncared for.
The three children never married. They continued to live in the house. Annie, the youngest, was the last one left. In the 1910s, Annie made a deal with two cousins. They could own the house if they took care of her in her old age. Annie moved out, taking only her clothes. The house then sat empty for almost thirty years.
Becoming a Museum
In 1943, the city of Winchester bought the house and 35 acres of land. The city wanted to save the oldest house in Winchester. They also wanted to use the natural water supply. The remaining items in the house were sold at an auction in 1945. These items included old antiques and paintings by Annie's older sister, Mary.
The Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society worked for nine years to restore the house. In 1961, Abram's Delight opened as a museum. In 1967, a log cabin built in 1780 was moved to the property. This cabin was similar to the one Abraham first built.
Abram's Delight was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1972. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. People say that several ghosts might live at Abram's Delight! You can take tours of the house from April to October. During the Christmas season, special tours are offered. Besides the house and log cabin, there is a small garden and an old gristmill. The gristmill is now a gift shop and exhibit area.
How Abram's Delight Looks
Abram's Delight is a great example of a large farmhouse from the 1700s. Its design, with a central hall and two rooms on each side, was common for early settlers. The outside of the house is made of rough limestone rocks. It sits on a strong stone foundation. The roof is covered with slate tiles.
The original part of the house is about 39 feet wide. It has three sections, called bays, across its front. The wing added in 1800 is also three bays wide and about 20 feet long. Both parts of the house have two stories. The newer wing is a bit shorter than the original part. There are three chimneys built into the walls. One is at the end of the wing, and one is at each end of the original house. There are five doorways in total. Two are on the north side, two on the south side, and one on the east side.
See also
