1

SUBJECT:

Isaac Coffman Home.

LOCATION:

On Linville Creek about 7 miles northwest of Harrisonburg, Virginia, on the west side of route #260, and west of the old Wenger Mill several hundred yards. From Harrisonburg take Kratzer Road to where it intersects with Route #260 and turn left (west) to the Wenger Mill and turn west (left) several hundred yards.

DATE:

Prior to 1860.

OWNERS:

Joseph Kratzer from Jacob Kauffman July 26, 1784, 284 acres.
Joseph Kratzer from Jacob Kauffman July 26, 1784, 120 acres.
Joseph Kratzer from Jacob Leair, April 25, 1796, 23 acres, 2 rods, 5 poles.

Joseph Kratzer from Michael Warren, March 21, 1785, 1 ½ acres.
Joseph Kratzer, 2 surveys George Huston, 12 ½ acres.
The above are part of patents by Morgan Bryan, 1743; Michael Warren. 1767; Jacob Kauffman, 1784; John Hughes, 1768. Survey Book A, page 353.
Samuel Coffman, from Jacob Kuster, January 24, 1824, $8,896. 472 acres. D.B. 6, page 63.
Samuel Coffman from Joseph Kratzer, record burnt, 1864, B.R.D.B. 9, page 295.
E. Coffman Bros. From Estate of Samuel Coffman, 1851, B.R.D.B. 23, page 486.

S.A. and H.D. Coffman from E. Coffman and Bros. Division, December 31, 1860, 894 acres, .B.R.D.B. 34, page 403.
E. and D.W. Coffman from S. and M.D. Coffman, June 12, 2024 for $8,500. And 77 acres of land—280 acres. D.B. 5. page 470.
A.M. Newman, Jr. from A.M. Newman, Sr. Trustee for E. and D.W. Coffman, August 4, 1880, $16,290. 228 acres, D. 18, page 392.
Margaret L. Myers by inheritance from father, A.M. Newman, Sr., 1896. Will Book 2, page 208, and D.B. 84, pages 440-1.
Annie M. Richardson from mother, Margaret L. Myers by will, May 1900, Will Book 8, page 396.
A.U. Wise from Annie M. Richardson, January 15, 1929, $23.000. D.B. 143, page 164.
J.R. Byerly, present owner, from A.U. Wise, November 12, 1929, $17,508 for 152 acres plus, in two tracts. D.B. 145, page 284.

DESCRIPTION:

The house is rectangular with gabled roof and built of stone. It has a frame extension in the rear and house fronts east. The porch with its sloping roof is now about fallen down. The cellar, with a dirt floor is under the rear.

See form 3686, attached.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

As may be seen from the picture, this old house with the expenditure of a little money and by proper treatment might be made into a splendid country home. It is located on a splendid farm and far enough away from the road to insure quiet and not too far as to make it inconvenient. Who built this house seems not to be quite definitely known, nor whether it is the first house built on this location. It is said to have been built by Isaac Coffman before the War Between the States. Just across the road leading into this place and not far from the house are the old slave quarters, built of brick.

The Coffmans, especially in the early years, were of the Mennonite faith, and were leaders in that denomination; they were chiefly farmers, but among them were also lawyers and doctors. They took part in

the conflict of 1861-1865 between the states, on the confederate side, and the roster shows a number of them

Isaac Coffman Home

Page 2

in active service, even to the extent of paying the "supreme sacrifice" and some at a later date being active in service with the American Army over the seas.

DeWitt Coffman was an Admiral in the U.S. Navy. His father, Dr. Samuel Coffman, presented a flag from the ladies of the county to the Brocks Gap Rifleman in 1861.

Daniel Coffman enlisted April 18, 1861, private in company H 10^th, Virginia Infantry.

William C. enlisted April 28, 1864, 1^st lieutenant Company A, 3^rd Battalion, Virginia Reserves. He was forty-five years of age at the time, was never discharged, being on detached duty when the war closed, never returning to his regiment. He died July 8, 1896, buried at East Point, Virginia.

These two Coffmans were from the eastern part of Rockingham County.

George Coffman enlisted May 28, 1864, private, Company B, 7^th Virginia Cavalry. Wounded.

George C. Coffman enlisted April 18, 1861, private, company B, 7^th Virginia cavalry. Wounded.

Isaac Coffman, Major. Company B. 7^th Virginia Cavalry, Stonewall Brigade, mortally wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, May 15, 1864.

Isaac Coffman, enlisted April 3, 1864, Company A, 3^rd Battalion, Virginia Reserves.

M.D. Coffman, enlisted April 18, 1861, private, Company G. Val. Grds. 10^th Virginia Infantry, wounded at first Manassas.

Samuel Coffman, enlisted April 18, 1861, Private, Company D. 10^th, Virginia Infantry.

T.R. Coffman, Company D, 10^th Virginia Infantry.

William McK. Coffman, spring 1862, Private, Company B, 10^th Virginia Infantry.
William T. Coffman, April 18, 1861, Private, Company I, 10^th Virginia Infantry.
William S. Coffman (Youth), son of Lieutenant William C. above, private, 3rt\d Battalion Virginia Reserves.

It is worth of note that so many were in the army from one family, all from the same county and practically from the same community. Whatever may have been their ideas as to secession and slavery, it is quite evident that when their State spoke, they responded loyally. All of the above were brothers and cousins and possibly fathers and sons, the last year of the war "robbing both the cradle and the grave", in order that the fast thinning ranks might at least be partly filled.

The Coffmans were from Switzerland and the ancestral home of the progenitor of the family in America was the Village of Homberg, Commune of Steffinsberg, Amt (County) of Thun, Canton of Berne. This was the home place of the Rev. Isaac Kaufmanns, who was exiled to Holland about 1710, after suffering many and grievous persecutions and imprisonment on account of religious beliefs in accordance with the Mennonite faith of which faith he was a bright and shining Light. He emigrated to America about 1712, and settled in Pennsylvania. Little is known about his family, except that he had three sons, one of whom was Andreas (Andrew).

The first of the Kauffman’s appearing in the Valley of Virginia seems to have been the Rev. Martin Kauffman, born, …died…1749 at Luray, Virginia. He married Miss Halderman, and most of the family were killed by the Indians after which time he and his family fled to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1733. Probably from there they went to Luray, which place at that time no doubt, was known as the Massanutten Settlement. It is not known where they were living when they fled to Lancaster in 1733. The Coffmans, or Kauffmans, until more or less recent years and today too, perhaps, have been Mennonites in their religious beliefs and doctrines and have stood high as Bishops, Ministers and leaders in that denomination and in years long gone, suffered all kinds of hard and trying persecutions for being loyal to their faith, being exiled to Holland.

Two branches of the Coffman family settled in Virginia, one branch at Luray in what is now Page County, and also in what is now Rockingham County, at or near Elkton, in the eastern part of the county. Martin Kauffman, son of Christian Kauffman, lived just above the White House Bridge in Page County. He and his son were both

Isaac Coffman Home

Page 3

preachers and both had good libraries for those times. Both are buried near the Lee Highway, on the west side, with markers erected by Mr. P.M. Kauffman. Martin, Jr. of age in 1760 built the White House below the bridge and lived and died there. He was a minister with a notable record in the Revolutionary period. He died in 1805.

Martin Coffman, Sr. had four children, Martin, David, Anna and Magdalene. David possessed the lower part of Martin, Sr.’s six hundred-acre tract and the Mill property on it is said not to have been out of the possession of the Kauffman family since about 1738.

Michael Kauffman, son of Christian Kauffman and brother of Martin above, finally settled on Linville Creek, in the northern part of Rockingham County, and was one of two Mennonite pioneer pastors in Rockingham. He and his brother Martin both had land in Pennsylvania, deeding a grant from the Penns in 1760. Information at hand seems to indicate Michael as the progenitor of the family on Linville Creek. Early Survey Books—0—I, A and B show surveys to Christian, Jacob, Samuel, Abraham, and Henry Coffman, and Dr. Wayland in his Valley Records shows Jacob in 1789 owning four hundred and six acres. These surveys were on Linville Creek, in the neighborhood or in the section more or less adjacent to Linville Creek.

Samuel Coffman was living in Shenandoah County when, in 1824, he became the owner of the property in this write-up. Whether he was a son of Michael is not definitely established, though the presumption is that he was. Samuel Coffman’s sons were Erasmus, Samuel A., M.D., and E. DeWitt Coffman, as shown in conveyances, and they came into possession of the property in 1851, partly by inheritance and partly from other devisees by will.

The Coffmans have always been prominent in the affairs of both the community of Linville Creek and the county, always aggressive and reliable in all matters pertaining to the best interest of the community. Entertaining positive and firm convictions on all questions, but simple and unassuming in their manner, yet upon reading the record, especially their war record, their courage and loyalty can not be questioned.

This is abundantly shown in the number of Coffmans listed in the Confederate service in 1861-1865, and may also be attested in the present generation in their service in the American Army overseas in 1817-18, B. Frank Coffman having the distinction of being the first volunteer in Rockingham County for that service, his cousin, F. Wilmer Coffman also being in the service overseas.

ART:

Photograph.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

Informants: Mr. E. Wilmer Coffman, 241 Paul St., Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Mrs. A.V. Milburne, Charles Town, West Virginia.

Rockingham County Court Records.

History of Shenandoah Valley by J.W. Wayland.

Civil War Records.

December 13, 1937 Geo. W. Fetzer

Harrisonburg, VA