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Bladensfield
Westmoreland
Virginia |
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Billingsgate ~ Bladensfield
circa 1690 |
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The original name of the house was
'Billingsgate' and it was not given the
title 'Bladensfield' until 1847. The
basement of the dwelling is
brick-walled, but the walls of the house
above the ground are of noggin. Some of
the original beaded weather-boarding
remains. On the interior are hand-carved
mantels and cornice, and paneled
wainscot, of a different color in each
room. The doors have 'HL' hinges, 'to
keep the witches out'. From the hall
ceiling still hangs the lamp used in
Colonial days. Through the facing of the
rear door is the Indian peep-hole. This
door has no lock... it never had any. A
hard-timbered bar secures it. It is the
identical bar that held the door closed
against the Indians in the late sixteen
hundreds.... |
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...Bladensfield is one of the oldest
houses in the Northern Neck and is a
place of great interest. Set back from
the highway, in a lawn of beautiful
trees and shrubbery, through which winds
the old, old driveway.
The flower garden
back of the house is one of the beauty
spots of the Northern Neck.
The Ward family, who now own and occupy
Bladensfield, take pride in preserving
the grounds as they were over two
centuries ago.
Bladensfield was given as a wedding
present to Philip Vickers Fithian and
Ann Tasker Carter, daughter of 'Councillor
Carter' |
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In later years 'the Laying of the Ghosts,' was
occasionally conducted here.
'Vast crowds' of
Negroes arrived—'until the hills were
covered.' A preacher backed
through the rear door, wearing his coat
inside out and upside down and reading a
page of the Bible, from the bottom line
upwards. After the ceremony the
ghosts were 'never quite so bad.' |
Compilation
©
2006 - 2012, rivahresearch.com
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