Francis Land House facts for kids
|
Francis Land House
|
|
Francis Land House in December 2017
|
|
 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 3131 Virginia Beach Blvd. Virginia Beach, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1804 |
| Architect | Land, Francis |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 75002118 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | May 12, 1975 |
The Francis Land House, also known as Rose Hall, is a historic brick house located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was once the large plantation home of the important Land family. This family was one of the first to settle in Princess Anne County, Virginia. Today, the house is a museum where visitors can learn about its long history.
Contents
History of the Francis Land House
The Land family lived on this land for a very long time. Their history here goes all the way from the 1630s to the 1850s. The house was passed down through six men named Francis Land. After them, it went to the last Francis's daughters. Eventually, it was sold to a different family.
Early Days and Plantation Life
Enslaved people were first recorded living and working on the property in 1694. More enslaved people were brought to the plantation until the 1730s. By the mid-1700s, the plantation had about 20 enslaved people.
The first Francis Land arrived in the area around 1638 or 1639. By 1654, he owned about 1,020 acres of land. He got 200 of these acres by bringing four people with him. Over the next 150 years, the plantation size changed. When the current house was built, the plantation was almost 700 acres. Today, the house sits on 7 acres of that original land. It is now surrounded by many businesses and shops.
Building the House and Later Owners
For a long time, people thought the house was built in 1732. But new research shows it was built later, between 1805 and 1810. Francis Land VI built the house. He and his family lived there from about 1805 until he died in 1819. His family had already lived on this land for 150 years before he built the house.
Francis VI and his wife had two daughters, Mary E. Land and Anne White Land. Mary married John Newton Walke. Their son, Frank Anthony Walke, later became a soldier for the Confederacy. Anne married John Minson Galt in 1833. Their son, Francis Land Galt, was a surgeon on the famous Confederate ship, the CSS Alabama.
Mary and Anne owned the land until about 1850 or 1851. That's when it was sold outside their family for the first time. In the early 1900s, Junius Thompson Sheets and his wife, Flora, bought the land. This included the historic Francis Land House. In 1912, the roof of the house was raised by 20 inches. In 1929, their son, Emmett Don Sheets, sold the property to his sister, Jane (Jennie), and her husband, Raymond Garfield DeFrees.
The DeFrees Family and Modern Changes
During the 1930s, a large part of the property was lost due to money problems. However, the DeFrees family kept the main house and the land around it. They ran a dairy farm there until the mid-1950s.
Raymond DeFrees was an engineer. He often traveled for his job. He was also a founding member and teacher for an astronomy club. Many groups visited the Francis Land House and farm to learn from him.
Jennie DeFrees managed the dairy farm. She also raised their five children: Lindsay, Florence, Flora Louise, Alice, and Helen. Lindsay served in World War II. During the war, Jennie also supervised German prisoners of war who were assigned to work on the farm.
Around this time, Naval Air Station Oceana opened nearby. A major road was also built through the area. By the 1950s, new businesses started to appear along Virginia Beach Boulevard. In the mid-to-late 1900s, the house was even used as a dress shop called Rose Hall.
Becoming a Museum
In the early 1970s, a developer wanted to tear down the house. They planned to build a shopping mall there. But the City of Virginia Beach stepped in and bought the house and 7 acres of land in 1975. Since 1986, the city has operated it as a historic house museum. They offer special programs for schools, Scouts, and the public all year long. Next to the house are the Rose Hall Apartments and Rose Hall Professional Center.
What the House Looks Like
The outside of the Francis Land House is built in the Georgian style. Inside, you can see rooms decorated with furniture and items from the Federal style. The floors are made of heart of pine wood. The outside walls are made of double-thick Flemish bond brickwork.
The museum also has beautiful gardens. These include herb, vegetable, flax, formal, and "pleasure" gardens. There's also a history park with a nature trail. This trail is about 0.1 miles long and goes through a wooded wetland. It has signs that explain what you are seeing. The trail leads to what was once the Pine Tree Branch of the Lynnhaven River.
Recognized as a Historic Place
The Francis Land House was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register and the US National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The National Register of Historic Places is a list of important historic places in the United States. While the house has a plaque saying it was placed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks in 1975, it is not on the official list of National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) for Virginia. NHLs are special places that are considered very important to the history of the United States.
