Mapping Early Basic City: Part 1

Those local to the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro area will be familiar with the mystique of Basic City. One of the more intriguing “lost cities” in Virginia, Basic City’s rapid development and sharp decline adds to its allure for history lovers. After the rapid decline came much slower decline, as industry moved away from the city. This decline culminated in Basic City’s 1924 merger with Waynesboro, which was not a smooth one. Subsequent development and a series of demolitions and fires have left only a handful of dilapidated vestiges of the once thriving city.

While this blog primarily focuses on threatened architecture within Augusta County proper, the appeal of Basic City was too strong. Additionally, it should be noted that Basic City was legally part of Augusta County until 1948, when Waynesboro gained “independent city” status.

This installment will focus primarily on the Basic City landscape at the time of Jedidiah Hotchkiss’s 1885 Illustrated Historical Atlas of Augusta County. For those unfamiliar, Hotchkiss was the cartographer for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Many of his Civil War-era maps are hugely valuable resources for historians, and his 1885 map of Augusta County is a treasured resource. Hotchkiss was also closely involved in various early industrial speculation in Basic City during the 1880s and 1890s.

March 2019 Update

About a month ago, the crew braved the cold once again to explore one of Augusta County’s lost architectural gems, this time near Newport. The Sproul House (as we are referring to it) sits beside a stream away from any kind of established road, and comes complete with some original features and a couple of dead cows (which was somewhat unexpected). The house was of particular interest for us, because it appears that it had never been surveyed before.

Architecturally, the house appears to date to ca. 1820-1830. Perhaps the greatest indicator of date is the molded brick cornice that wraps the top of the house – this was a common feature on brick houses in the Valley from about 1820 to 1840. The house’s three-bay facade, complete with a symmetrical Georgian entrance is another indicator of age. Altogether, it’s not difficult to imagine what this house once looked like. Some original double-hung sash windows (with panes long-gone) and front door are still in place – as is the case with a lot of original elements. Notice also the evidence of a previous porch. It’s rare to see such a complete package as this.

Chris Warring inspects what the brickwork can tell us about the removed front porch. Biggers, 2019. 

The interior was a fascinating mix of original elements, deteriorated finishes (that revealed the bones of the building), and deceased livestock. The basement fireplace and hearth clearly indicated that kitchen functions happened inside the house. A one-room ell is stuck on the rear of the house (as seen below). From its current appearance, it seems that this space was used primarily as a kitchen in recent years.

Axon drawing of the Sproul House floorplan. Biggers, 2019. 

Further research will be the key to answering the questions that surround this house. From our singular visit, our primary questions are:

1. When was the house built, and by whom? Understanding both of these questions is crucial to honing architectural identification skills in the field. Though unlikely, determining the name of a builder will add to what is a very undeveloped knowledge of 19th century builders in Augusta County. Architectural historians elsewhere in Virginia and in states like North Carolina and South Carolina have devoted considerable time and resources to developing a list of period builders, but very little has been developed for Augusta County.
2. Why was this house located so remotely? In particular, this house’s location far from any type of established road is somewhat perplexing. The answer could be simple, but still deserves some analysis. Furthermore, Flemish bond is used on the facade and the east elevation, while the north and west elevations use 5:1 common bond. This could perhaps be inconsequential, but it could suggest a hierarchy in spatial use around the house.
3. Who were the people who lived in the house? Census records are our best friend for questions such as this, but the best place to start are deeds. A complete chain of title, at the very least, will provide us with a list of names to research further. At best, the chain of title can lead to wills and probate records. Census records can help knit the story of this house into the surrounding community.

This house, as with the others we’ve been fortunate enough to survey, has mysteries that we can only hope to answer. Like the others, pictures we capture and drawings we produce will aid in the analysis and help capture information before this building deteriorates further. With this mission in mind, the team is developing a long list of other threatened/abandoned buildings to document before it is too late.

Lost: Maple Shade

A 1937 view of Maple Shade, taken by J.W. Apperson as part of a Works Progress Administration of Virginia’s Historical Inventory house survey.

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The vast majority of pre-1900 houses in Augusta County are constructed of wood, stone, or brick. However, a new material, comparable to concrete, rose to popularity during the years following the Civil War. The material was known as “gravel wall” and was inspired by The Octagon House: A Home for All (2nd ed.), written by Orson Fowler. In his book, Fowler describes the material as “made wholly out of lime and stones, sand included…” In the county, the majority of gravel wall buildings were built by William H. Peterson and his son, William. The Petersons employed a mixture of medium-sized field stones and mortar, which when combined and cured, created the walls. On the outside, a thin stucco layer was added and sometimes scored to give the appearance of stone block. According to one account, the Petersons built at least 88 such buildings in the area (including nearby Rockingham, Rockbridge, Albemarle, and Highland counties).

1870 Hotchkiss Map of Augusta County, showing Washington Swink’s house.

Maple Shade was one such building, built in 1865 by William Peterson. The house was located midway between Moscow and Spring Hill in northern Augusta County. Typical with overarching styles of the period, the house had interior end chimneys, paired windows, and a front entrance with a transom and sidelights. Also typical was the original rear ell, likely used for kitchen and dining room spaces. Before the Civil War, ells were typically built after a house ran out of space. Following the Civil War and the migration of food preparation spaces back into the house, rear ells were often constructed concurrently with the main house.

Maple Shade was torn down ca. 2000.

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1937 survey for Maple Shade, as part of the Works Progress Administration of Virginia, Historical Inventory project

January 2017 Update

Doorknob inside the Carpenter House.

Despite having decidedly limited time to devote to the exploration of Augusta County’s endangered buildings, the three of us nevertheless managed to investigate two buildings over the holiday season. Both buildings remain largely un-researched, meaning we cannot marry what we see with facts from archival records. Despite this, both buildings are clearly historic and offer insight into two very different historical narratives.

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In the week leading up to Christmas, we followed a lead from Nancy that led us to the Buffalo Gap area to investigate a house believed to have been built by a free African American following emancipation. The house was a goldmine for lovers of vernacular architecture. Long abandoned, the house was a hodge-podge of architectural pieces. Numerous types and sizes of doors and windows abounded, clearly indicating that the residents were apt to reuse. After we braved the cold for as long as we could, we called it quits – but not before taking both interior and exterior photographs as well as basic exterior footprint measurements. We have yet to get inside the courthouse and uncover a detailed history of the house – once we do, it should all make a bit more sense.

Kitchen house at the McClure homestead.

Days after Christmas, the same team converged on the McClure homestead, located in the vicinity of Spottswood. The main house, a two-story, circa-1910 frame farmouse, was not our main interest. The stone kitchen house, connected to the main house, was the reason we made the trip. According to the owner, a team of architectural historians who visited years back stated with some certainty that the kitchen house dated to the 18th century. That assertion is a fair one for any historic stone building in Augusta County, as brick became the building material of choice in the early 19th century (see Ann McCleary’s Historic Resources in Augusta County, Virginia, Eighteenth Century to Present).

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As more information is gathered, each of these building’s pages will be updated on the website. To access the Carpenter House (Buffalo Gap area) page, click here. To access the McClure Homestead (Spottswood area) page, click here.