Corotoman
Corotoman | |
Location | Address Restricted Weems, Virginia |
---|---|
Coordinates | 37°39′17″N 76°26′38″W / 37.65472°N 76.44389°W |
Area | 160 acres (65 ha) |
Built | 1650–1699, 1700s |
Architectural style | Georgian |
NRHP reference No. | 70000805[1] |
VLR No. | 051-0034 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | September 15, 1970 |
Designated VLR | December 2, 1969[2] |
Corotoman was a 17th and 18th century
History
Earliest inhabitants
Corotoman was first inhabited by the Cuttatwomen Native American tribe several hundred years before the arrival of English colonists to Lancaster County, Virginia.[3]
John Carter I
John Carter I, the patriarch of the Carter family of Virginia, purchased and settled Corotoman between 1652 and 1653.[3] Carter developed and improved the lands into a plantation and constructed the first structures on the property before his death in 1669.[3] Carter's mansion, known as the "Old House", was built in the traditional 17th century hall-parlor plan with a porch chamber.[8]
Robert Carter I
Corotoman was then inherited by Carter's son Robert Carter I (whose wealth and autocratic business methods led to his becoming known by the nickname "King") in 1690.[3] Under Robert Carter I's ownership, Corotoman became the center of what developed into a 300,000-acre (1,200 km2) estate of 48 plantations and farms including places such as Indian Town and Hills Quarters.[3]
Construction
Robert Carter began construction of the large
Gardens
Carter employed an English gardener, whom he instructed "to bring the yards around the mansion into closer accord with the architectural rhythms of the mansion.[8] Little is currently known of the garden's contents and design.[8]
Brick House Store
At Corotoman, Carter maintained a building known as the "Brick House Store" where he kept imported goods that he sold and bartered to local planter.[9] In 1730, an inventory of items at the Brick House Store included essential supplies such as cloths, tools, and gunpowder and luxury items such as spices, ivory combs, and brass candlesticks.[9]
Spinster's House
Another supporting structure at Corotoman was known as the "Spinster's House."[10] The house was constructed in either the late 17th century or the early 18th century.[10] The "Spinster's House" was a one-story and a half frame house adorned with a gabled roof with large end chimneys.[10] It lay in ruins for years before finally disappearing around 1930.[10] Before its disappearance, the "Spinster's House" was the last remaining supporting structure of the original Corotoman plantation.
Destruction
In 1729, four years after "King" Carter's mansion was completed, a fire destroyed it.[3][6][7][10] Carter made little mention of the mansion fire in his diary, but did lament the total destruction of his wine cellar.[11] Carter died three years later and the mansion was not rebuilt.[3][10] An inventory taken in 1732 after Carter's death implies that after the fire, Carter resided in either the "Old House" or the "Spinster's House" at Corotoman rather than rebuild it because of fiscal difficulties or ill health.[8][10] In the mid-19th century, Corotoman and its adjacent lands passed out of the Carter family when they were sold by a granddaughter of Charles Carter.[3][5]
Escape of Enslaved Persons During the War of 1812
69 Corotoman slaves fled to British ships anchored in the Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812. The flight occurred on two days in April of 1814. On the 18th, three young enslaved men from Corotoman – Tom Saunders, Ezekiel Loney, and Canada Baton – left with a party of British marines who had come ashore on a nearby estate to carry off provisions. Three days later the British returned at midnight directly to Corotoman, quite certainly led there by the three young men. They left with 66 more slaves, mainly women and children. This was the largest group of slaves to flee to the British from any Virginia estate during the War. [12]
Successive ownership
A mansion was rebuilt at Corotoman by successive owners, but was destroyed by fire around 1900.[4]
In Spring 2000, the
Architecture
Robert Carter I's 1725 Georgian mansion was a two-story
While the mansion was destroyed by fire four years after its completion, the "Spinster's House" on the Corotoman estate survived until around 1930.[3][10]
Archaeology
In 1978,
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u The Foundation for Historic Christ Church. "Corotoman". The Foundation for Historic Christ Church. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ a b Anne-Louise Monn (July 6, 2004). "Rosewell, Corotoman, and Christ Church". The National Institute of American History and Democracy Journals. Archived from the original on July 5, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ^ a b c Glenn, Thomas Allen (1899). Some colonial mansions: and those who lived in them : with genealogies of the various families mentioned. H.T. Coates and Company.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8139-2673-5. Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 0-8139-1862-6. Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 0-8018-5986-7. Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 0-8078-4412-8. Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2017.
- ^ Historic American Buildings Survey. "Spinster's House" (PDF). The Library of Congress. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 5, 2011. Retrieved September 6, 2009.
- ISBN 9780394535791.
- ^ https://christchurch1735.knack.com/corotomanslaves#home2/
External links
- Corotoman, Rappahannock River, Weems, Lancaster County, VA: 1 photo, 1 measured drawing, and 6 data pages at Historic American Buildings Survey