Long Grass Plantation

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Long Grass Plantation is located along what was the Roanoke River basin but in the 1950's became the Buggs Island Lake/John H. Kerr Reservoir in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Built circa 1800 by George Tarry on land belonging to his father, Samuel Tarry (said land being named Ivy Hill, house razed in the 1950's), Long Grass Plantation encompassed approximately 2000 acres (8 km²). Today, most of the land once belonging to Long Grass is submerged and is owned by the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers. Only 27 +/- acres of privately owned land make up the grounds of Long Grass. The property was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Registry and the National Register of Historic Places in the early 1990's.

[edit] Evolution of the Main Structure

The original hall and parlor structure still exists and has been added on to over the years in 4 major phases.

The current structure is dominated by the additions made in the early to mid 19th century by builder-architect Jacob Holt of Warrenton, NC. In the early 1830's Holt was commissioned to build a 2-storey, single-pile, 3-bay addition to the front of the original 1.5 storey house. The 2 structures were connected via a 1-storey hyphen. The addition is much larger in scale and massing than the original hall and parlor and with a neoclassical entrance and porch (probably salvaged from and earlier home in Warrenton County or along the Roanoke River) the newer addition was an indication of the economic fortune generated from tobacco cultivation. Several years later (probably in the late 1840s) Holt was again commissioned to make improvements to the property. By this time Holt had adopted elements of the popular Italianate style of architecture in his designs. Holt raised the roof of the original hall and parlor to make a full second storey and designed a relatively ornate single storey porch across the rear of the house.

In the 1950's the house was renovated and retrofitted with modern mechanical systems. The 1-storey hyphen connecting the two structures was raised to 2 full stories. Two new bathrooms were created - one upstairs in the new hyphen space and one downstairs in the Holt addition dining room space.

The most recent renovation occurred in the 1990's when Bruce and Sudie Park of Raleigh, NC purchased the property. Michael Denton of Clarksville, Virginia and Trent Park managed the renovation project. At this time the property was completely renovated and the spaces between the original hall and parlor and the Holt addition on either side of the hyphen were enclosed to make space for a breakfast room, study, and 2 new bathrooms upstairs. The bathroom created in the 1950s in the Holt dining room was removed completely. New, updated mechanical systems were installed.

[edit] The Dependencies

On the grounds of Long Grass Plantation are many of the buildings historically used by the plantation to carry out domestic and agricultural tasks. Of the original historic structures the Ice House, Smoke House, Kitchen/Laundry, School House, Pack House, 2 Tobacco Barns, and a Double Tennant (former slave) Dwelling still exist. Of these buildings the Tennant House is in the most advanced state of decay. The Pack House is also nearing disrepair. All of the other buildings are structurally sound and well protected.

Items of note:

The frame Ice House (ca. 1830) is most unusual. It is very large for an Ice House or Dairy Building. The structure is 2 stories with a pit underneath. Over time it has been used to store corn and the second storey was used as a pigeon coop.

The one-room School House (ca. 1800) was renovated and added on to in the 1950s to create a cottage with kitchen, bathroom and sleeping loft.

The Smoke House (ca. 1830) was noted in 19th century letters as being one of the largest and most secure in the region. It most recently was used to house poultry

The Kitchen/Laundry (ca. 1830 and 1840) actually began as a kitchen only. Built of frame construction it had a brick floor and a massive stone firebox and chimney. Later (probably when Holt added the rear porch) the structure was doubled in size by adding on behind the chimney. A fireplace was created in the addition that shared the original chimney. Today the laundry room fireplace and the original chimney still stand but the original enormous stone fireplace in the kitchen building has collapsed.

The Tobacco Pack House has suffered some serious structural damage but still stands and is relatively well protected. This is the building where the tobacco was stored and processed for drying and transportation to market. The structure was added on to over time. In its current configuration it is roughly rectangular with 4 irregularly shaped rooms on the first storey and a large loft area above. There are very few window openings. There is a large stone lined humidor pit underneath a portion of the structure that was used for managing the moisture level of the leaves.

[edit] Other History

The land on which Long Grass Plantation was built by Tarry was granted by King George to his father for the building of Ivy Hill. A third plantation named Wildwood was built upon this land by a Tarry son.

Planted in the front yard of Long Grass is a 'Constitution Oak' from the 1912 Virginia Constitutional Convention. The Burr Oak is an unusual species in Virginia. Each of the delegates to this constitutional convention were given a sapling to plant to commemorate the event.

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12/2005