Huguenot Houses in Powhatan and Chesterfield Counties

Aetna Hill

1700 Salisbury Drive

Aetna Hill is located north of Midlothian on a large wooded parcel rimmed on the

south by a recent housing development.

The dwelling, which has seen few alterations since its erection, was built in two

stages. The original house is a 1 1/2 story Huguenot-style structure with a three-bay

facade and twin front doors. This earliest portion of the house was built by

Thompson Blunt after his marriage in 1791 to Frances Morrissett, granddaughter of

Huguenot settler, Pierre Morrisett.

Around 1840 a larger 2 1/2 story, side-passage plan house was added to its west gable

end. The facade of the earlier section was altered around 1948 when the original left

front door was replaced by a wide double window.

The property was best known in the nineteenth century for a series of major coal

mining operations there. In 1831, after retiring to Powhatan County, Blunt deeded

his Chesterfield house and lands to his daughter Maria and her husband Elijah

Brummall, who operated the Aetna Coal Pits for many years, employing about ninety

laborers. Coal from the Aetna shafts was being sold to the Tredegar Ironworks in

Richmond as late as 1884.

Compiled by Lucille C. Moseley for the 300th Anniversary

Celebrating the Arrival of the Huguenots in Virginia

Huguenot Houses in Powhatan and Chesterfield Counties

Forkland Tavern

Fork of River Road and Riverway Road in southwestern Chesterfield

County

Stephen Wilkinson, the builder of the tavern, acquired the 121-acre tract from

William Fergusson. The property remained in Wilkinson's possession until his death

in the 1860s, and in 1889 it was sold to William L. Wilkerson. He later sold it to

David D. Phillips and today Phillips' grandson occupies the house.

The present L-plan frame building was erected in two stages. The hall parlor front

section, judging from the land book entries, was built in 1839. The modified sidepassage

rear ell was probably erected in 1852. According to local tradition, the ell was

used exclusively by the family as a dwelling, while the front section served the public

as an eating and lodging place.

The original cessation of the house is noteworthy for its fine late Federal detailing

and its unusual hall-parlor plan featuring Huguenot-style twin front doors.

Compiled by Lucille C. Moseley for the 300th Anniversary

Celebrating the Arrival of the Huguenots in Virginia

Huguenot Houses in Powhatan and Chesterfield Counties

Adventure Hill

Situated on a level forested tract east of Winterpock, Adventure Hill is one of two

early houses in Chesterfield built on an original T-plan. The house features a tworoom front block with twin front doors. One wonders why this Huguenot style twofront door house was built such a long distance from the other Huguenot style

11801 Winterpock Road

houses in the county. It is a good twenty miles from the James River and is much closer to

the Appomattox than to the James. It has original shed-roofed verandas at either face

of the rear T, creating a building rectangular in total plan.

The earliest traced owner of the property was William Pinchbeck, born 1798, who

married Martha Wilkinson. He was a prosperous farmer who owned a 502-acre

plantation, a gristmill on nearby Sirloin Branch, and a general story which stood

beside the road in front of his house. The property continued in the Pinchbeck family

throughout the nineteenth century, but has since been acquired by other owners.

Mr. and Mr. John Norvell bought the property in the 1930s and undertook a

thorough renovation of the house. They enclosed the western shed-roof porch, and

used a mule team and scraper to excavate a basement under the house. More recent

owners have maintained it without further alterations.

Compiled by Lucille C. Moseley for the 300th Anniversary

Celebrating the Arrival of the Huguenots in Virginia