Bloomsbury Farm (Spotsylvania County, Virginia) facts for kids
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Bloomsbury Farm
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Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Bloomsbury Farm (Spotsylvania County, Virginia)
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9736 Courthouse Rd., Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia |
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| Area | 1.9 acres (0.77 ha) |
| Built | 1785–1790 |
| Architectural style | Postmedieval English |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000479 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 8, 2000 |
| Removed from NRHP | February 7, 2017 |
Bloomsbury Farm (also known as Harris Farm) was a very old house in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. It was built between 1785 and 1790 by the Robinson family. This house was special because of how it was built and decorated in the 1700s.
The land around Bloomsbury Farm is also important. It was the place of the very last fight between the Confederate and Union armies during the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse on May 19, 1864. Bloomsbury Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 2000, which means it was recognized as a historically important place. Sadly, the house was taken down in December 2014 by a new owner. The farm was removed from the National Register in 2017.
Building Bloomsbury Farm
The Bloomsbury Farm house started as a two-story building in the late 1700s. It had a simple design, with only one room from the front to the back walls. Later, in the early 1800s, a central hallway was added, changing the house's layout.
The house was built using a method called "braced frame construction." This means it used strong, hand-cut wooden beams and rafters for its frame. Workers used wrought nails, which were hammered by hand from iron, to hold the original parts of the house together. The inside of the walls was filled with bricks for extra strength and insulation. The house also had two brick chimneys on the outside, built in a special pattern called Flemish-bond. The foundation was made of fieldstone, which are natural stones found in fields.
A Look at Its History
The land where Bloomsbury Farm stood was first owned by Benjamin Robinson. He built the house sometime between getting the land and his death in 1790. The farm stayed in his family for many years.
In 1854, the farm was sold to Clement Harris. During his time, the farm grew a lot of tobacco, about 4,500 pounds (2,041 kg) each year! They also grew wheat, corn, and oats. The Harris family owned the farm until 1883. After a few changes in ownership, the Harris family bought the land back in 1888.
Later, in 1913, a company bought the property. Then, in 1917, Robert Purvis became the owner. In 1927, James McGee bought the land, and Bloomsbury Farm became a dairy farm.
The McGee family sold milk as "Bloomsbury Sanitary Dairy." They sold raw milk in Fredericksburg, Virginia, until 1937. After that, they switched to selling milk in large cans. The family continued their dairy business until 1966, when they sold their Jersey cattle.
The Battle at Harris Farm
Bloomsbury Farm was the site of an important event during the American Civil War. On May 19, 1864, a fight known as the Harris Farm Engagement (or Battle of Harris Farm) happened there. During this battle, Confederate soldiers led by General Richard S. Ewell attacked Union soldiers near the farm.
This battle was the last major action of the larger Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. It ended when General Ewell's forces left in the evening. While the fighting was happening, the Bloomsbury Farm house was used as a field hospital to care for wounded soldiers. Sadly, over 2,000 soldiers were killed or hurt during this battle. In 1901, a monument was put up at the site to remember the soldiers from the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery who died there.
