Benjamin Deyerle facts for kids

Benjamin Deyerle (1806–1883) was a talented architect, artist, and brickmaker. He lived in Roanoke County, Virginia. He and his family designed and built many important homes, churches, and public buildings in the Roanoke area. He is known for building at least 23 structures, and maybe even more! Some of these buildings are now listed as historic places. This means they are protected because they are important to history.

Early Life and Family

Benjamin Deyerle was born on September 7, 1806. His parents were Charles and Elizabeth Leffler Deyerle. His grandfather, Peter Deyerle, came to America from Germany in 1748. Peter Deyerle later became a wealthy landowner. He even fought in the American Revolution alongside Daniel Boone!

Benjamin had family members who were also skilled builders. His half-brother, Joseph, and his nephew, James C. Deyerle, were masons and builders too. His brother, David, helped with the brickwork for the Peters Creek Church of the Brethren. He also worked on the Main Building at Hollins University. Most of the buildings the Deyerle family constructed were in the Greek Revival style. This style looks like ancient Greek temples.

Benjamin married Julia Ann Shaver Deyerle. They had five children: Susan, George, Mary Jane, Henry, and Bessie.

Benjamin Deyerle was also a large-scale farmer. He owned land in Roanoke County and Franklin County, Virginia. He grew crops like wheat, corn, and tobacco. He also raised cattle. Besides farming, he ran a successful mill, a general store, and a large whiskey distillery.

Benjamin Deyerle used the labor of enslaved people in his businesses. One enslaved man, Charles Lewis, was a very skilled brickmaker. Charles Lewis had learned brickmaking in eastern Virginia. He was bought by Benjamin Deyerle around 1849. By 1860, Benjamin Deyerle owned 34 enslaved people. Charles Lewis's son, Peyton M. Lewis, later wrote that his father was a "great brick molder and layer." He also said his father was a "great distiller of whiskey."

Benjamin Deyerle also worked closely with Gustave A. Sedon. Gustave was a German carpenter and cabinet maker.

Brickmaking Skills

The bricks made by Benjamin Deyerle and Charles Lewis were known as the best in the area. They were very strong and had a nice red or brown color. The Deyerles often used a pattern called Flemish bond for their Greek Revival homes. This pattern creates a checkerboard look with the bricks. For some churches and fancy homes, they used an all-stretcher bond (Stretcher bond). This made the buildings look more even.

Sometimes, they used bricks that weren't perfect for other purposes. These discarded bricks were used for inside walls or smaller buildings. Some bricks even had signatures, like one found at Pleasant Grove Plantation that said "1852."

Historic Buildings

The Deyerle family worked together on many projects. They also worked with other builders. They learned from each other and from architecture books of their time.

Churches

Cave Spring Methodist Church

Benjamin Deyerle built the Cave Spring Methodist Church around 1854. It was also in the Greek Revival style. This church had a special balcony for enslaved people to attend services. A hidden fireplace was found during renovations in 1946. People say there's a cornerstone with a Bible inside, but it has never been found! The church building has been used by other groups since then.

Fairmont Baptist Church

The Fairmont Baptist Church was built between 1855 and 1857. It is located near Boones Mill, Virginia. It has two front doors and three windows on each side. Benjamin Deyerle owned a farm nearby called Evergreen (Rocky Mount, Virginia). His enslaved workers made the bricks and mortar there. These bricks were used to make the Fairmont Baptist Church.

Piedmont Presbyterian Church

The Piedmont Presbyterian Church in Callaway, Virginia was one of the first Presbyterian churches in Franklin County, Virginia. Benjamin Deyerle built it around 1850. It is a Greek Revival church with a Flemish bond brick pattern. It has two front entrances and windows with shutters. It is believed that Benjamin Deyerle's enslaved workers made the bricks on a nearby farm. Then they laid the bricks for the church.

Salem Presbyterian Church

Benjamin Deyerle likely built the Salem Presbyterian Church (Salem, Virginia).

College Buildings

Roanoke College

Benjamin Deyerle and his brother Joseph built two of the first buildings at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. These were the Administration Building and Monterey House. They are important parts of the college's history.

Houses

Belle Aire

Belle Aire was built in 1849 for the Pitzer family. Benjamin Deyerle and his carpenter, Gustave A. Sedon, worked on it. The house shows the Greek Revival architecture style. It has tall, round columns at the front. It is made of brick. Today, Belle Aire is still a private home. It became a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1966.

Evergreen (Rocky Mount, Virginia)

Benjamin Deyerle also built Evergreen (Rocky Mount, Virginia) in Franklin County, Virginia. This house mixes the Italianate style with Greek Revival. It was finished in 1861. Benjamin Deyerle had his distillery and a large farm of about 4,500 acres here.

Hunter's Rest

In 1854, James Persinger asked Benjamin Deyerle to build his brick home. Benjamin Deyerle was known as "the most popular builder in the county." The house was first called "Hunter's Rest." Today, it is known as "White's Corners" in Roanoke.

Keagy House

The Keagy House was built in 1857 for Benjamin Keagy. It was a two-story brick house. It had fireplaces in every room. There was also a separate brick building for a kitchen and slave quarters. Charles Lewis, the skilled brickmaker, helped build this home. Sadly, the Keagy House was completely torn down in 1989.

Lone Oaks

Benjamin Deyerle also built Lone Oaks. This house was originally named "Lone Oaks" in 1840. It was later renamed "Winsmere" in 1938.

David Trout House

Benjamin Deyerle built the house for David Trout, also called "Cherry Hill," in 1857. This house was similar to other homes built by the Deyerle family. It was torn down in the 1980s.

Walnut Grove

Walnut Grove was the home of Christian Nininger. It was built around 1866. This house might have been built by David Deyerle, or perhaps with his brother Benjamin. The bricks are laid in a Flemish bond pattern at the front. It was later known as "Meadowbrook."

Death

Benjamin Deyerle passed away on May 5, 1883. He is buried in the Shaver-Deyerle Cemetery in Cave Spring, Virginia. The cemetery is surrounded by a brick wall. The bricks are the same as those used in the Cave Spring Methodist Church. The cemetery is near his former home, Lone Oaks.