1. SUBJECT:
Michael H. Effinger Home and Farm
"Spring Hill"
2. LOCATION:
1 ½ miles south of Harrisonburg, Virginia, on north side of Brown’s Gap Road. Take U.S. route #11 from
Harrisonburg, one mile south to intersection with Brown’s Gap Road, turn east for half a mile.
Weather boarded log house on north side of road, two hundred yards or more from the road.
3. DATE:
Not exactly known but sometime before the Civil War.
4. OWNERS:
Names of original to present day owners:
John Stephenson by Patent, June 1, 1741. B.R.D.B. #5, page 136.
Archibald Huston from John Stephenson, 300 acres. B.R.D.B. #5, page 135-6.
Nathan Huston from father, Archibald Huston, by will 1774.
Nathan Huston by Patent, 1784. B.R.D.B. #5, page 135-6.
George Huston from heirs of Nathan Huston, October 9, 1820. "Pond Spring" tract 275 acres. B.R.D.B. #5,
Page 135-6.
Col. A.W. Huston from heirs of George Huston at various times. B.R.D.B. #10, page 172.
Geo. W. Huston from B.F. Walker com’r, June 16, 1863, $17,043.68, two tracts—47 acres and 14 acres.
D.B. #11, page 28.
M. Harvey Effinger from Margaret Effinger Huston, December 19, 1876, $7,988. "Spring Hill" farm & c.
D.B. #13, page 518.
Geo. W. Effinger form m. Harvey Effinger, 1877.
Michael H. Effinger from mother, Dora V. Effinger, September 3, 1901, $1.00. D.B. #70, page 512.
Wm. W. Acker, present owner, from Michael H. Effinger, March 1, 1909, $12,500. 162 acres. D.B. #85,
page 262.
5. DESCRIPTION:
Farm, and present house on east side of Cooks Creek. House, two story, log weatherboarded, build on stone
foundation, fronts south; has a one story addition in rear; gabled roof; 9 medium large rooms; 4 mantels and
fireplaces.
6. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
I hoped to find this place originally a part of, or at least, adjoining the old Robert Cravens Plantation. If the
Cravens home was where some say it was, I should have found it in tracing this Effinger place back to its source, yet I may have missed a connecting link and gotten on the wrong track. I do not find any connection with, nor does it seem to adjoin, the Cravens Place, though the Effinger place is on the east side of Cooks Creek. Robert Cravens’ second patent of 400 acres each was in this locality, and it is said by some that his house fronted on the old Browns Gap road close by and if it were standing today, it would face the present Valley Pike. (Route #11).
The Effinger place traces back to John Stephenson and to Archibald Huston, Stephenson by patent and Huston from Stephenson and by patent also. They were early settlers and patentees of land in this part of Augusta, now Rockingham County.
"In 1751, Archibald Huston patented land on Mill Creek above John Stephenson, whose daughter he had married. He had these sons—George, Nathan, John and Stephen, and daughters Mary, Abigail, Jean and several others. When the Revolution began all the Hustons belonged to Captain Hewitt’s company of
Michael H. Effinger Home and Farm
Page 2
Militia. Archibald Huston died in 1774. During the Revolution George Huston served as a captain, and was on the expedition against the Indians on the Ohio River in 1778 and 1779.
"Among the later members of the family in Rockingham was George Huston (Houston), who served as Lieut. Colonel of the 38th Virginia Regiment, he was killed at Sailor’s Creek in the retreat of General Lee from Richmond to "Appomattox". (Dr. Wayland in his History of Rockingham and in his Valley Records.)
In Civil War Records of Rockingham, we find the following: Huston, John W.C., 4/18/186l private, Co. C. Val. Guards, 10th VA. Reg.
Houston, George, 7/1/1861, Lieut. Col. Co.I, 33 VA Reg. "Stonewall" Brigade; promoted to Colonel; killed at Hatchers Run, near Petersburg, VA, 1865. (Civil War Records).
The Effingers were later owners of the place in this write-up. Margaret Effinger, sister of M. Harvey Effinger, married George W. Huston, and it was from his sister he brought the place in 1876. In this conveyance the place is called "Spring Hill". M. Harvey Effinger was engaged in banking in Harrisonburg. He moved to Staunton in Augusta County, where he owned several farms and were he died.
In Civil War Records we find the following:
Effinger, Algernon. Q.M.S. 10th Virginia Reg., Prisoner at Camp Chase, Ohio, Honorably discharged after
the war.
Effinger, G.H. 4/18/1861, Co. C. Val. Guards, 10th VA Reg. Detailed in the Treas. Dept. of the Q..M. Department.
Effinger, William, Private Co. B. 7th VA Cavalry. (Civil War Records Rockingham County).
7. ART:
8. SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Court Records, Clerk’s Office, Rockingham County, Virginia.
Civil War Records at Court House, Rockingham County.
Dr. J.W. Wayland in Valley Records and History of Rockingham County.
January 5, 1938 Geo. W. Fetzer
Harrisonburg, VA