|
Abt 1800 - 1842 (~ 42 years)
1756 - 1842 (86 years)
Birth |
1756 |
Lunenburg County, Virginia |
Died |
1842 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Father |
Francis B. Brandon, b. Est 1730, Colonial Virginia |
Mother |
Elinor/Eleanor Richmond, b. Est 1730 |
|
Family |
Sarah Lee Scott, b. 1766, Lunenburg Co., Colonial Virginia |
Married |
13 Feb 1786 |
Caswell Co., North Carolina |
Children |
+ | 1. Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
+ | 2. Francis Scott Brandon, b. 1804, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 3. William Brandon, b. Abt 1786, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 4. Robert Brandon, b. 13 Jan 1788, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 5. Elizabeth 'Betsy' Brandon, b. 12 Aug 1794, Halifax Co., Virginia |
|
|
1766 - 1818 (52 years)
Birth |
1766 |
Lunenburg Co., Colonial Virginia |
Died |
30 Jun 1818 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Father |
William Scott, b. 1740, Lunenburg Co., Virginia Colony |
Mother |
Rebecca Brown, b. 1743, Lunenburg Co., Virginia |
|
Family |
Francis Scott Brandon, Sr., b. 1756, Lunenburg County, Virginia |
Married |
13 Feb 1786 |
Caswell Co., North Carolina |
Children |
+ | 1. Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
+ | 2. Francis Scott Brandon, b. 1804, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 3. William Brandon, b. Abt 1786, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 4. Robert Brandon, b. 13 Jan 1788, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 5. Elizabeth 'Betsy' Brandon, b. 12 Aug 1794, Halifax Co., Virginia |
|
|
Abt 1803 - Abt 1861 (~ 58 years)
Birth |
Abt 1803 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
Abt 1861 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
|
Father |
Lemuel dna Carter, b. Est 1779, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Martha "Patsy" Powell, b. Abt 1785, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
26 Dec 1801 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Family |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia [3] |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
Children |
+ | 1. Thomas Oscar 'Tom' dar Carter, b. Bef 1831, Halifax Co., Virginia |
+ | 2. Eliza Ann 'Lizzie' Carter, b. 13 Jan 1826, Halifax Co., Virginia |
+ | 3. William Francis Carter, b. 20 Jun 1824, Halifax Co., Virginia |
| 4. Mary Ann Catherine Carter, b. Bef 1831, Halifax Co., Virginia |
+ | 5. Alexander Lafayette Carter, b. 5 May 1835, Halifax Co., Virginia |
| 6. Lemuel Carter, b. Abt 1832, Halifax Co., Virginia |
|
|
Bef 1831 - 1962 (~ 131 years)
Birth |
Bef 1831 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
Feb 1962 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
|
Father |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Family |
Living |
Children |
| 1. John Edgar Carter, b. Mar 1871, North Carolina |
+ | 2. Robert Oscar Carter, b. 15 Mar 1879, Person County, North Carolina |
+ | 3. Lottie Sylvia dar Carter, b. 26 Aug 1881, Tennessee |
|
|
1826 - 1902 (76 years)
Birth |
13 Jan 1826 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
27 May 1902 |
Mineral Bluff, Fannin, Georgia |
|
Father |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Family |
Hanson A. Farmer, b. 31 Dec 1821, Halifax County, Virginia |
Married |
20 Nov 1842 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
Children |
| 1. James W. Farmer, b. 8 Sep 1847, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 2. Mary Katherine Farmer, b. 28 Jun 1853, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 3. Elizabeth Farmer, b. 12 May 1862 |
| 4. Monroe Farmer, b. 18 Mar 1864, Fannin County, Georgia |
| 5. William Hanson Farmer, b. 15 May 1866, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 6. Bird S. Farmer, b. 28 Feb 1856, Fannin County, Georgia |
| 7. George Wilson Farmer, b. 17 Apr 1844, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 8. Martha Ann Farmer, b. 13 Sep 1845, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 9. Jessie B. Farmer, b. 22 Jul 1849, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 10. John 'Henry' Farmer, b. 7 Apr 1851, Halifax County, Virginia |
| 11. Joseph L. Farmer, b. 6 Apr 1858, Fannin County, Georgia |
| 12. Eliza Jane Farmer, b. 28 Mar 1860, Fannin County, Georgia |
|
|
1824 - 1899 (74 years)
Birth |
20 Jun 1824 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
22 Jan 1899 |
Youngville, Robertson Co., Tennessee |
Buried |
Hopewell Baptist Church, Van Buren County, Tennessee |
|
Father |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Family |
Sarah Mildred Tarpley, b. 12 Dec 1825, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
28 Oct 1848 |
Person County, Virginia |
Children |
+ | 1. John Henry Carter, b. 22 Jul 1849, Halifax Co., Virginia |
| 2. William Bethel Carter, b. 27 Jun 1853, Gilmer Co., Georgia |
| 3. James Lafayette Carter, b. 18 Mar 1857, Gilmer Co., Georgia |
| 4. Monroe Lea Carter, b. 26 Mar 1863, Robertson Co., Tennessee |
| 5. Edward Greenberry Carter, b. 3 Sep 1864, Robertson Co., Tennessee |
| 6. Mary Carter, b. 27 Jun 1853, Tennessee |
|
|
Bef 1831 - Yes, date unknown
Birth |
Bef 1831 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
Yes, date unknown |
|
Father |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
1835 - 1906 (71 years)
Birth |
5 May 1835 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
2 Sep 1906 |
Pembroke, Kentucky |
|
Father |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
Family |
Luvita Ann Beard, b. 20 Nov 1833, Tennessee |
Married |
27 May 1861 |
Montgomery Co., Tennessee |
Children |
+ | 1. Samuel Henry Carter, b. 3 Dec 1868, Tomksonville, Monroe County, Kentucky |
|
|
Abt 1832 - Yes, date unknown
Birth |
Abt 1832 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Died |
Yes, date unknown |
|
Father |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Mother |
Catherine Brandon, b. Abt 1800, Halifax Co., Virginia |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
|
-
Documents
|
| Halifax Co., Virginia 1765 Colonial Poll & Tithables Lists, Page 20-21 Jackson, Francis Brandon & Other Residents,
Jackson_10026.jpg |
| brandon 67813 BrandonNews2.jpg |
| Marriages of Carters in Halifax Co., Virginia Index 12982HalifaxIndxMarageMale-Carter.pdf |
| General Index to Marriages - Halifax County, Virginia Males; Thomas Carter and Mary Powell; Prisley Carter & Oney WAddell; George Carter & Elizabeth Smith; Robert Carter & Unity Cook; Lemuel and Patsey Powell, Lemuel & Martha Miles; Richard H. Carter and Nancy T. Powell; George Carter & Elizabeth Cole; Richard & Catherine Brandon, Etc. GenIndxMarragesHalifaxMales-Carter8.jpg |
| Francis Brandon to Daughter Catherine, Gift [Halifax Co., VA] HalifaxDeedFBrandontoCatherineCarter.pdf |
| Autosomal-Stats Chart DNA-Detectives-Autosomal-Statistics-Chart(1).png |
-
Name |
Catherine Brandon |
Born |
Abt 1800 |
Halifax Co., Virginia |
Gender |
Female |
Died |
22 Aug 1842 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
- 1850 VA Census Halifax shows:
81 Lemuel Carter 76 planter
Martha 60
Richard 42 overseer
John 33 laborer
Elizabeth 11
His assets very valued at 6,000 dollars
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/halifax/census/1850/southern/1-478.txt
If Richard is 42 and living with his parents, his wife has already died and thus his birth year is about 1807-8. Likewise, his Father, Lemuel reports his age as 78, making his birth year 1774-5; Mother, Martha is 60, making her YOB, 1790.
|
Person ID |
I67813 |
My Reynolds Line | Descendants of Giles Carter of Henrico |
Last Modified |
24 Dec 2019 |
DNA Tests |
1 person has linked a DNA test to Catherine Brandon |
Test Type | Taken by | Haplogroup | Test Information |
atDNA |
*Mary Frances Reynolds | |
|
Father |
Francis Scott Brandon, Sr., b. 1756, Lunenburg County, Virginia , d. 1842, Halifax County, Virginia (Age 86 years) |
Mother |
Sarah Lee Scott, b. 1766, Lunenburg Co., Colonial Virginia , d. 30 Jun 1818, Halifax County, Virginia (Age 52 years) |
Married |
13 Feb 1786 |
Caswell Co., North Carolina |
Family ID |
F2063 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
Family |
Richard Henry Carter, b. Abt 1803, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. Abt 1861, Halifax Co., Virginia (Age ~ 58 years) |
Married |
15 Jul 1822 |
Halifax County, Virginia |
- (MB1/109) Halifax Co., VA General Index to Marriages-Males
(Page 91) Richard Carter + Catherine Brandon 15 Jul 1822
|
Children |
+ | 1. Thomas Oscar 'Tom' dar Carter, b. Bef 1831, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. Feb 1962, Halifax Co., Virginia (Age ~ 131 years) |
+ | 2. Eliza Ann 'Lizzie' Carter, b. 13 Jan 1826, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. 27 May 1902, Mineral Bluff, Fannin, Georgia (Age 76 years) |
+ | 3. William Francis Carter, b. 20 Jun 1824, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. 22 Jan 1899, Youngville, Robertson Co., Tennessee (Age 74 years) |
| 4. Mary Ann Catherine Carter, b. Bef 1831, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. Yes, date unknown |
+ | 5. Alexander Lafayette Carter, b. 5 May 1835, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. 2 Sep 1906, Pembroke, Kentucky (Age 71 years) |
| 6. Lemuel Carter, b. Abt 1832, Halifax Co., Virginia , d. Yes, date unknown |
|
Last Modified |
18 Jan 2020 |
Family ID |
F22680 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
Notes |
- Children of Cathrine Brandon and Richard Carter were:
i. Eliza Ann Carter was born on 13 January 1826 at
Halifax County, Virginia. She married Handsome A. Farmer on
28 November 1842 at Halifax County, Virginia.
Francis Brandon
Born: 16 May 1756 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 13 Feb 1786 - , Caswell, North Carolina
Died: 9 Aug 1842 - , Halifax, Virginia
Father: Francis Brandon
Mother: Elinor Richmond
Wife
Sarah Lee Scott
Born: 16 Jan 1766 - , Caswell, North Carolina
Died: 30 Jun 1818 - , Halifax, Virginia
Father: William Scott
Mother: Rebecca Brown
Children (Catherine Brandon's siblings
1. William Brandon
Born: 1786 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1811 - Esther Wiley
Died: - 2. Robert Brandon
2. Robert Brandon
Born: 13 Jun 1788 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1811 - Mary Jane Holt (other spouses)
Died: 8 Mar 1874 - , Callaway, Missorui
3. Sarah Anne Brandon
Born: 1789 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1822 - Thomas Solomon Stimpson
Died: - 4. John Brandon
4.John Brandon
Born: 1790 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1809 - Margaret Foster
Died: -
5. Jesse Brandon
Born: 2 Mar 1793 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1816 - Mary C Graves
Died: 7 May 1864 - , Halifax, Virginia
6. Elizabeth Brandon
Born: 12 Aug 1794 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1821 - Joel Anderson Kirby
Died: 20 Dec 1880 - , Halifax, Virginia
7. Annis Brandon
Born: 7 Apr 1798 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1818 - John F Lawson
Died: 27 Mar 1866 - , Callaway, Missorui
8. Rebecca Elizabeth Brandon
Born: 1799 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1811 - Leighton Green Tarpley
Died: 26 Sep 1849 -
9. Martha Brandon
Born: 18 Mar 1801 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1820 - James Chambers
Died: 30 Oct 1853 - , Madison, Tennessee
10. Francis Scott Brandon
Born: 1804 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1823 - Elizabeth E Stanfield
Died: 1852 - , Haywood, Tennessee
11. Amy Lee Brandon
Born: 25 Mar 1807 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1822 - Henry L Stimson
Died: 10 May 1866 - Elletsville, Monroe, Indiana
12. Catherine Brandon
Born: 1808 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1822 - Richard Carter
Died: 1850 - , Halifax, Virginia
13. Mary Brandon
Born: 1809 - , Halifax, Virginia
Marr: 1835 - Thomas Brandon
Died: -
Catherine Brandon's father is Francis; her mother is Sarah
Lee Scott; her brother is Robert
Notice that Francis Brandon does not name the father of his
grandchildren: Catherine is his daughter. He (Francis)
gives a negro girl for the use and benefit of his
grandchildren.
William F. is the s/o Catherine Brandon and Richard Carter.
Halifax Co., VA deeds show gift to grandchildren of
servant who is for his grandchildren's use, by Francis
Brandon.
Other Deeds Mary Catherine (Brandon)Carter 1898 transfer
ownership of lot on Fenton Street from mother, Mary
Catherine Carter to William F.
8. ii. John SCOTT , Sr. was born ABT 1717, and died 16 JUL
1781 in Caswell Co., North Carolina. He married Mary ? in
Caswell Co., North Carolina.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/v/e/r/Melvin-C-Ve
rnon/ODT5-0005.html
*2nd Husband of [1] Susanna Carter:
............. +[32] Daniel Price
............. 6 [33] Daniel Price, Jr
................ +[34] Mary Hughes
.......... 5 Theodrick Carter, Sr 1676 - 1736
............. +Elizabeth Gregory - 1751
............. 6 Theodrick Carter, Jr. - 1777
................ +Anne Waddell
................ 7 Richard Carter - 1796
................... +Susannah Biggers
................... 8 Lemuel Carter Aft. 1780 -
...................... +Patsy Powell
...................... 9 William "Buck" Carter
......................... +Elizabeth "Bettie" P TURNER
......................... 10 Nancy Emeline Carter 1832 -
1906
............................ +Phillip MCSHERRY Abt. 1829 -
Aft. 1880
............................ 11 Aniva Thomas MCSHERRY 1855 -
............................... +James Morgan Wells 1839 -
............................... 12 Aniva Thomas "Ivy" Wells
.................................. +Walter Marion Scott 1884
- http://oldhalifax.com/county/brandon.htm
Old Halifax Brandon Plantation
|
-
Sources |
- [S40] Will, http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/halifax/wills/earlywills-a-g.txt.
1769, March 16 'Will of David Brandon. Wife, Rebecca; sons, William and Thomas; daughters, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary and Agnes, children all under age and to be educated. Only and sole executors: John Lawson and William Edwards.
Witnesses: William Brandon, Frances B. (X) Brandon and John Brandon. George Carrington, clerk.
These are our early Brandons; Catherine Brandon's Ancestors and those of her father:
- [S251] Various Books, http://oldhalifax.com/county/brandon.htm .
This southern Piedmont plantation was originally the homestead of the Brandon family who settled in the area in the mid-eighteenth century. The principal resource is a two-part vernacular farmhouse built in 1800 and enlarged ca. 1842. The enlargement includes noteworthy interior woodwork: plain but forthright 1840s mantels and stair attributed to Thomas Day, the well- known black cabinetmaker of nearby Milton, North Carolina. Day has achieved national attention as a symbol of successful black entrepreneurship in a time and region where the majority of his fellow African-Americans were legally enclaved.
An equally important feature of the property is the rare, carefully preserved ca. 1800 kitchen/slave house with an unusual extended cornice. This outbuilding is an example of the fast-disappearing service buildings that once were a prevalent feature of the Southern agrarian landscape. It and the earliest portion of the dwelling house were built during the ownership of William Brandon. The section with the Thomas Day woodwork likely was constructed after 1841 when the property was inherited by Brandon's son, William Byrd Brandon.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Brandon family traces its origins in the region to 1746 when Francis Brandon purchased land in the Halifax County portion of what was then Lunenburg County from the Byrd family of Westover, Charles City County.' In 1750 a William Brandon purchased land in the area from William Byrd II' In 1758 David Brandon and William Brandon were appointed "processioners" by the vestry of Antrim Parish, the Anglican Parish that formerly incorporated all of Halifax County. "' Although kinsmen, the precise relationship of these various Brandons is uncertain.
In his will filed July 16, 1778, David Brandon left the "land and plantation whereon I now live, containing three hundred and thirty acres," to his eldest son William. It was this William Brandon who most probably built the oldest part of the present dwelling house on Brandon Plantation as well as the existing kitchen/slave house. The general construction date of the house and outbuilding, ca. 1800, has been determined by stylistic evidence rather than documentation and could vary at least a decade.
William Brandon, known as William Brandon, Sr., died in 1841 leaving his property, to his son William Byrd Brandon. Because stylistic characteristics of the east section of the dwelling house suggest a date of 1840 or later, it is a reasonable to assume that this portion was added by William Byrd Brandon soon after he received title to the place.
The Brandon family typifies the middling gentry who occupied Halifax County in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. They were slave owners and lived in reasonable prosperity, yet they were not on the level of such leading families as the Bruces of Halifax County who lived in architectural splendor and owned thousands of acres worked by scores of slaves. The Brandons' dwelling illustrates the type of housing inhabited by people of their rank: a commodious vernacular building of little pretension. Although twentieth-century alterations have compromised the integrity of the interior of the ca. 1800 section, the ca. 1842 section retains its most significant features.
The mantels and stair of the ca. 1842 section set the house apart from other examples of rural antebellum architecture by being attributed to the shop of a noted black cabinetmaker and carpenter, Thomas Day. While the attribution is based primarily on stylistic evidence, Day is know to have worked for the Brandon family. In an 1844 estate accounting of the estate of Francis Brandon, the two executors, William and Jessee (sic) Brandon, notes a payment of $14.00 to Thomas Day.
Day was a free black who operated a cabinetmaking shop in Milton, Caswell County, North Carolina, a hamlet just a few miles away from Brandon Plantation. He became an established craftsman in the second decade of the nineteenth century. By the time of his death in 1861 he and his assistants had produced woodwork for houses throughout the Milton region, in both North Carolina and Virginia. His shop also produced quantities of strongly built furniture. Day's work, although provincial interpretations of sophisticated Greek Revival and Empire designs, is bold and self-assured, and has a personality that sets it apart from other work of the period. He made extensive use of strong S curves in both furniture and woodwork. The serpentine friezes of the Brandon Plantation mantels are example of his penchant for curves. The mantels are also interesting for preserving their original marbleized finish, probably executed by Samuel Shelton, a painter also from Milton.
The ca. 1800 kitchen/slave house on the property is one of the better preserved domestic outbuildings of its period in the region. A rare feature is the overhanging eaves on its east side, a treatment not observed in any other outbuildings in that area of Virginia. Also of interest are the rare batten hatches used in place of windows on the south end. The building is currently undergoing a scholarly restoration. A similar restoration is planned for the main house following completion of research and examination under the sponsorship of the current owner, a descendant of the original owners.
From the standpoint of historic geography Brandon Plantation was situated directly in the path of several important historical patterns of development. The first included the opening and settlement of southside Virginia by Governor Spottswood in 1720, the General Assembly's Tax Exemption for southside settlers in 1738, and the implementation of one of the earliest successful colonial development schemes -- that of William Byrd, II. The land which constituted Brandon Planation along with other adjacent Brandon land was purchased from the estate of William Byrd, land which he had procured after participating in the survey of the dividing line between Virginia and North Carolina. Moreover, Lunenburg court records note that in 1750, Thomas Brandon and others partitioned the court for the building of a road from the mouth of county line creek (Milton, N.C.) to Boyd's Ferry (South Boston). This road would probably have run through or alongside Brandon Plantation.
The second was the final phase of the southern campaign of the American Revolution in 1781. This phase included the "Retreat to the Dan" by General Nathaniel Greene with Lord Cornwallis in pursuit, followed shortly by Greene's return to Guilford Court House and the strategically successful battle there. This maneuver "led-- indeed forced Cornwallis to Yorktown, where the power of Britain in the American states was shattered." Carrington in his History of Halifax County writes that "It appears that Greene and Cornwallis passed through Halifax County twice in the month of March 1781. The armies followed what is known as the 'River Road' from Milton to Blank's Ferry (Irwin's Ford), where Greene seems to have crossed and recrossed on the track of the southward-moving British army. The road to the Dan taken by General Greene and Cornwallis may very well have been the one petitioned for by Thomas Brandon and noted above. The proximity of Brandon Plantation to this Southern Campaign explains the levies on it and other plantations for forage, boats, rifles, horses, etc., and the fact that a least one of the Brandon men, Francis Brandon, Jr., joined the 2nd Virginia Regiment of Volunteers and went down to participate in the Battle of Guilford Court House. " Later that same year, Brandon was detailed to guard the prisoners taken at Yorktown.
The third was the development of the agrarian slave economy leading up to the Civil War. Brandon Plantation was situated in the area where the regularized production of bright leaf tobacco was developed in the 1820s, an industry requiring slave labor. The Brandons had numerous slaves and most likely used them for tobacco growing, resulting the in the prosperity that enabled the construction of the ca. 1842 wing of the residence. The kitchen/slave house is also an artifact of the slave economy as is the walled cemetery with its labor-intensive construction.
It is ironic that the surviving physical parts of the property which contribute most to its historic significance are the kitchen/slave house, associated with the institution of slavery, and the artistic work of a free black, Thomas Day, noteworthy as an example of an early triumph of American free enterprise.
The Gazette-Virginian
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
by Beth Robertson
The restoration of a Halifax County home earned the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities' Frederick D Doveton Nichols Award for the "best domestic architectural restoration project in Virginia" last night in Richmond.
John R. Brandon was presented the award during The APVA's 34th Annual Awards ceremony.
The project, which included restoration of the home and several outbuildings, began following Brandon's purchase of Brandon House in 1992.
The project ties Brandon to centuries of Halifax County history.
In 1746, three Brandon brothers bought 1,400 acres of and in what was to become Halifax County, Virginia, from William Byrd's widow, Maria, according to records.
In 1992, John Brandon bought a portion of the original acreage.
On the land, approximately 140 acres, stood an early house and several outbuildings.
Jim Melchor, the project manager for restoration, worked with master carpenter Doug Noe and Tommy Thompson over a 12-year period as Brandon had the house and it dependencies "meticulously restored."
"It has been very interesting,"said Brandon."It has not been cheap, but it has been almost like a duty once I knew what the property was and the history behind it. I felt I had a responsibility to restore it in the most elegant way possible ... and to leave a window to the past open on one small sector of our country's history."
Work first began on the slave quarter/kitchen, a section described as "a rare and possibly a unique survivor with its overhang to the east," by historian Marilyn Melchor in the nomination submitted to APVA.
Jim Melchor researched the architectural history of the structure. A new foundation and roof led the agenda as Brandon moved to save the structure that would later be filmed as part of a video documentary for the Ellis Island Museum.
Char Bah, descended from black families in the same Halifax County area, was filmed at the Brandon farm for the documentary, although Brandon said Bah's family was not connected to his farm.
In her APVA recommendation, Melchor also noted "an addition to the main house, circa 1844, retains the mantels, staircase and woodwork crafted by the shop of Thomas Day, a noted free black who owned a woodworking/cabinetmaking shop in nearby Milton, North Carolina."
Key elements in the restoration included uncovering and preserving original marbleizing on the stair risers and baseboards, the installation of a Thomas Day door and surround, and removal of the circa 1960 exterior aluminum siding.
"The most challenging thing in restoration is reading the evidence on the bare-bones of the house," said Jim Melchor. "You do your restoration work based on the evidence you have."
In pursuit of clues, the restorers looked at every nail hole, scratch, everything there," he explained.
The detective work paid off as workers removed an existing porch and aluminum siding from the two-story house. Melchor said "paint ghosts" were keys to what had been.
The architectural historian is also quick to compliment Doug and Hilda Martin, who previously owned the house. At one time, Martin considered razing the old house and building a new home, but Melchor said Mrs. Martin wanted to keep the old house.
Although some changes were made, restorers were delighted to find missing architectural pieces still on the property.
"Inside was pretty much intact," recalled Melchor. A mantel that was reinstalled was still on the property and two doors were put back in original locations, according to restorers. The doors, too, had been saved.
"We knew a door was in a wall," recalled the project manager. "When we pulled the siding off the house, the door frame was in the wall and we found the door."
During the restoration, all mechanical and electrical elements in the house were replaced.
"We wrapped it up by putting functional shutters back on the house. With hardware," added Melchor.
The home's amazing trek through time probably opened with limited multi-use space, "a hall/chamber arrangement," but its extended metamorphosis included adding bedrooms and new living space, according to Melchor.
Under John Brandon's care, the property now reflects the history of those who came before him.
The retired Nayy captain's forebears have a long history of military service.
"Three Brandons fought at Guilford Courthouse," said Brandon, recalling Cornwallis' pursuit of Colonial forces across North Carolina to the Dan River near South Boston in February of 1781. Another Brandon, who fought in the French and Indian Wars, is recorded as seeking compensation for a horse and a watch lost in those campaigns. "He got a horse, but no watch," added John Brandon.
John Brandon speaks of "duty" when asked about undertaking the time-consuming and costly renovation of Brandon house, but his work also inspires.
"Mr. Brandon was able to preserve many of the original elements of the structure," according to an APVA press release. "This successful restoration offers inspiration to those wishing to restore domestic dwellings."
For Brandon, the restoration reaches across centuries to Brandons who helped chart the nation's history; it is about family, about duty.
The Brandon complex is listed on both the Virginia and National Registers of Historic Places.
http://oldhalifax.com/county/brandon.htm
Old Halifax Brandon Plantation
- [S212] Kathy Carter Jacobs.
Giles Carter of Turkey Island (1635-1701); to Theodrick Carter, Sr. (First) and Elizabeth Webb of Turkey Island, Henrico Co; to Theodrick Carter II and Anne Waddill; to Richard "Died Young" Carter and Susannah Bigger; to Lemuel Carter (b. 1781 in Halifax Co VA, d July 7, 1861 in Caswell Co, NC) and Martha "Patsy" Powell of Halifax Co, VA.
At this point, our ancestral lines divide and follow two different sons of Lemuel and Patsy. Yours goes through William George "Buck" Carter of Halifax Co, VA and mine extends from Richard Carter (b abt. 1803, d abt. 1861 in Halifax Co, VA) and Catherine Brandon (b abt. 1800, d August 22, 1842) of Halifax Co, VA. Richard and Catherine were married on July 15, 1822 in Halifax Co, VA.
From Richard and Catherine, my line then goes to Thomas Oscar ("Tom") Carter (b bef 1831 d?) of Halifax Co, VA who married Sally "Callie" Carter (1853-August 8, 1887) of Albemarle Co, VA on December 11, 1871. Sally/Callie is buried at Crossroads Baptist Church in Turbeville, Halifax Co, VA and we visited her grave last summer. Tom and Callie are my paternal great-great grandparents.
Then on to their son, Walter Raleigh Carter (b April 17, 1874 - d November 29, 1970) and wife Lottie Sylvia Carter (b August 26, 1881, d July 18, 1937) who were married on January 17, 1898 in Milton, Caswell Co, NC.
Their firstborn child was my grandfather, Henry Eugene Carter, Sr. (b Dec. 24, 1898 and d Jan. 1, 1986) who married my grandmother, Martha Sue Overton (b Dec. 23, 1896 and d Jul. 2, 1988) on Dec. 17, 1921. I am the daughter of their firstborn child, a son, Henry E. Carter, Jr. (b Dec. 23, 1922 and d. Oct. 21, 1991) who married my mother, Mary Astor Motley (b Feb. 3, 1924 and d. Dec. 25, 2005) on Aug. 30, 1947.
NOTE: Both my grandparents and my parents lived in Pittsylvania Co, VA and I was born in Chatham.
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