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1. SUBJECT:

John Beery Home.

2. LOCATION:

On Linville Creek about 6 miles north of Harrisonburg, Virginia, on east side of route #260. From Harrisonburg, take the Kratzer road until it intersects with Route #260; turn left (west) for about 5 miles. Old brick house on east side of highway.

3. DATE:

About 1803.

4. OWNERS:

• John Beery—1796, by surveys and various purchases from others.
• Abraham Beery from John Beery’s Executors, July 4, 1835, 2 tracts, 58 acres and 10 acres, B.R.D.B. 12, page 49.
• John K. Beery and George K. Moyers from Heirs of Abraham Beery.
• John K. Beery from George K. Moyers.
• Henry Beery from John K. and Noah w. Beery, September 18, 1866, $1.00 including Fulling Mill site.

D.B.1, page 409.

• Henry C. Beery from father, Henry Beery by deed, February 21, 1873, $11,550. 228 acres, 3 rods, 35 poles,

D.B. 17, pages 503-504.

• J.P. Swank from Henry C. Beery, March 31, 1894, $11,450, 28 acres, 3 rods, 35 poles. D.B. 48, pages 499,
• J.R. Liskey from J.P. Swank, April 2, 1906, $11,000, 223 acres, 2 rods, 23 square poles. D.B. 80, page 65.
• J.N. Swank from J.R. Liskey February 28, 1912, $8,190, 129 ¾ acres. D.B. 95, page 271. Mr. Swank is the

present owner.

1. DESCRIPTION:

The house is a two story brick, rectangular building with gabled roof. The porch in front and an extension at the rear has a flat roof. See form 3686, attached.

2. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

John Beery was born in Adams County, Pennsylvania in 1767, the son of Abraham and Mary (Gochenour) Beery. He came to the Valley of Virginia when a young man, his parents also came later. He married Barbara Kagy of Shenandoah County, and for the first few years of their married life, lived at New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia, where their first child, Barbara, was born, March 12, 1795. Soon afterwards, about 1796, they purchased a large tract of land, mostly timber, near Edom, in Rockingham County, Virginia. Here Mr. Beery built the brick house shown in the picture, and here, too, raised a large family who grew to be industrious and intelligent citizens. The Beerys came from the Cantons of Switzerland. They were driven from their native land by persecutions on account of their religious beliefs and sought refuge in Holland, later immigrating to America sailing from Rotterdam and arriving at Philadelphia, October 19, 1736. They were Mennonites in their religious faith, plain and simple in their manner and dress, but of sturdy character, self reliant and courageous in meeting the difficulties and obstacles that came to them. For the most part the Beerys were farmers, and for a number of years after coming to America, followed that pursuit, turning the wilderness into fertile fields which might seem to be an impossible task. The Beerys, however, have had other pursuits besides farming, and in later years have occupied a prominent place in the professions, in the ministry of the church, in law, in medicine and in the teaching profession, and were courageous and energetic in whatever they were engaged.

John Beery owned many acres of land besides the home tract upon which he built his house. Upon this tract he built a fulling mill and carding machine and here many fine warm blankets were made and cloth was woven to be made into clothes for the family. In those days synthetic substitute and "commercially pure"

 

John Beery Home, 1803

Page 2

had not yet come into being. This mill was of frame construction and was burned about 1810 or 1812, and soon after was replaced by a brick building, enlarged and improved.

Mr. Beery’s parents, Abraham and Mary Beery, rather late in life also came to Virginia and settled at Cross Keys, in Rockingham county, Abraham buying a tract of 157 acres from Daniel Stoner. Here he died May 26, 2024 at the advanced age of 81 years, and was buried at Union church Cemetery. John Beery died June 25, 1834, his wife following him September 25, 1835, and both are buried in the Lindale Mennonite Church Cemetery, just north of Edom. The Beery name has been spelled in various ways, especially when they first landed at Philadelphia, they knowing only German or Dutch and the entry clerks knowing only English, the name was spelled according to the way it sounded, as Biera, Piere, Biery, Peary, Beary, Beery and Berry, which now seems to be the present way of spelling the name. In the early years the Beerys were large landowners, totaling according to Dr. Wayland’s Valley Records, 1695 acres. They also have the following military record: Rinly, Elisha, John, George, and Kinley Beery, being members of the 116^th Reg. Virginia, Vol., Thomas Hopkins Company entering service July 7^th, 1813. (Dr. Wayland’s Valley Records.)

In the 1860’s we find the following:

Isaac N. Beery, April 1, 1862, private, Company C, 11^th Virginia Cavalry, Laurel Brigade.

Joseph W. Beery, 1861, Stonewall Brigade, mortally wounded at Bolivar, West Virginia. January 6, 1862,

died two days later.

John C. Beery, September 10-, 1862, Sergeant Company B, 7^th Virginia Cavalry, incapacitated by rheumatism, detailed as miller for the war’s duration. Son of John K. Beery.

Joseph Beery, September 10, 1862, private, Company A. Virginia Militia, Captain Taylor, mortally wounded at Martinsburg, West Virginia. Son of John K. Beery, (Civil War Records.)

3. ART:

Photograph

4. SOURCES OF INFORMATION: