David Harrison Homestead.
About six miles north of Harrisonburg, Virginia, Route # 11, west side.
Early 1850’s.
Books at Staunton.
The Harrison Home was colonial, two stories with an L extension. The porch has a flat roof and four columns. There are four chimneys, one on each end and at the front, one in the center and one on the west end of the L.
The interior has been remodeled in recent years, retaining the rather narrow hall, and stairway of the colonial type to the floor above. The floors and mantels are new and modern. The rooms all had a fireplace in each as was usual.
See form 3686, attached.
David Harrison (1775-1851) the son of Captain Reuben Harrison and wife Lydia, settled near his parents on land willed him by his father. The site of his home was that of the present residence of Thomas Moore Harrison, at Virginia Caverns, about six miles north of Harrisonburg, Virginia and a few miles south of Lacey Spring.
This fine old place was given to David Harrison by his father, Reuben Harrison, much of whose land was inherited from his father, John Harrison, Sr. and from his brother, John Harrison, Jr. The story is told of Reuben that he had so much land that he gave some of it away, explaining in doing so, that he wanted some neighbors. He is listed as owning one thousand two hundred and four acres in Rockingham, in 1789 (Wayland, page 449) but this being late in his life by no means represented all the land he had handled or possessed, in his day.
On this place given to David is the famous old cave mentioned by Kercheval, the historian, as Harrison’s Cave. This natural wonder is now opened to the public under the name of "Virginia Caverns" having been leased to the owners of the New Market Endless Caverns by one of David’s descendants, Thomas Harrison a great grandson. The entrance to the Caverns is within full view of the highway, Route #11, on the east side, about a hundred yards distant.
David Harrison Homestead
Page 2
David Harrison married in 1799, Elizabeth Pickering, daughter of William Pickering and wife Barbara, whose plantation was further north but not far distant. He built the original house in the 1700’s.
David died in 1851 and his wife Elizabeth within the same month thereafter. Beth lie buried in the old family burial ground, now on the Lilburn Long place, a short distance east of the "Pike" and near an old log house, marking the site of his son, Nathaniel’s home. The inscription on his tombstone reads—"In memory of David Harrison, Born April 20, 1775, died March 1, 1851, Aged 75 years, 10 mo., 11 days". Among his effects listed in his inventory, was a copy of Ballou’s Sermons. Hosea Balleu (1771-1852) was a famous Universalist, who at an early age joined the Baptist Church, but later embraced the Universalist faith, and at the time of his death was the pastor of the Second Universalist Society at Boston. One of David Harrison’s children, Lydia, (1809-1878) who built the present house and lived there with his family until his death, January 9, 1878.
Thomas Moore Harrison, son of George h. Harrison, and now living on the old Homestead, married June 8, 1922, Frances Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Moore and wife Elizabeth, nee Allebaugh. They reside at the old David Harrison Homestead where she was born and reared. She inherited the place form her father, on which, is located the Virginia Caverns previously mentioned.
Thomas Harrison is one of Rockingham’s progressive young farmers, specializing largely in live stock. He was educated at Randolph-Macon Academy, at Front Royal, Virginia. They have an only daughter—Elizabeth Josephine, born April 7, 1925.
This place is included in the patent grants to John Harrison, Sr. and to his son, John Harrison, Jr. The place has come down through successive generations by wills. Whether Reuben Harrison came into possession through his father, John Harrison, Sr. or through his brother John Harrison, Jr., I am not able to establish definitely, but upon careful investigation, I can not find that it has ever been sold, but has come down as said above, through successive generations by inheritance.
Madison Moore came into possession of the property in 1846 through his wife’s inheritance, and he is said to have built the house as it is today.
Photograph.
Informant: Miss Emma Byrd, Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Settlers by the Long Grey Trail by Houston Harrison.
November 2, 1936 Geo. W. Fetzer
Harrisonburg, VA