SUBJECT: "Hill Top".
LOCATION:
Northeast section of Harrisonburg, Virginia, on the south side of Washington Street.
DATE:
Said to have been built in the 1820’s. (Burned in 1874).
OWNERS:
Robert Gray, father.
Robert A. Gray, from father, Robert Gray, by will. Will Book A., page 234, 1859.
Rockingham and Susan B.G. Paul, from the Estate and by division of Robert Gray, 1910, D.B. 88, page 273,
and D.B. 89, page 234.
DESCRIPTION:
The building burned in 1874 and description is not possible; nothing is left but one of the servant quarters, new occupied by E.M. Bowman.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
"Hill "Top" farm was the property of Robert Gray, devised by him to his son Robert Gray.
Robert Gray was born in Ireland, November 1, 1781. His family settled in the Shenandoah Valley about 1787. He was educated at William and Mary College and at Princeton, New Jersey. He located in Harrisonburg in 1805 for the practice of law and continued to live there until his death in 1850. He was a prominent man in the community, and aside from the law took a conspicuous part in its affairs, both in a business and social way.
He married Isabella, daughter of Asher Waterman, and about 1812 built "Collicella", a splendid old place located at the north and of what is new Liberty Street. He was a lawyer of profound learning, and advocate and prosecutor of great eloquence. Algernon S. Gray his eldest son, followed in his footsteps, in the law and like his father, was a very eloquent man and a gentleman of high character. He was a member of the Virginia Convention called to decide the momentous question of Secession and is said to have moved the members thereof to tears in his opposition to that ordinance. He accepted the decision of the majority of the convention however, but did not take an active part in what followed except to minister as best he could to the suffering and distress of those who did. It is said of him that he took the shoes off his feet in the street and gave them to a Confederate soldier who had none.
During those troublesome and distressing days, feeling ran high and being a Union Man and opposed to Secession, at the importunity of his family he want to Baltimore, Maryland, where he lived until the War was over. Returning to Harrisonburg, he was appointed Marshall or Clerk of the United States Court, in which office he served with distinction for a number of years. As said before, "Hill Top" was the residence of Robert A. Gray, son of Robert Gray and from whom he inherited the place. Just when incomplete typing check original file.