Page 156 - WPA Book
P. 156
Works Project Administration – Articles from Rockingham County
HOUSES
1. SUBJECT:
Michael H. Effinger Home and Farm.
Spring Hill
2. LOCATION:
One and one half 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.
5. 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 from 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 Cook’s 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 Cook’s 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, today’s
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 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.
Page 155 of 482
HOUSES
1. SUBJECT:
Michael H. Effinger Home and Farm.
Spring Hill
2. LOCATION:
One and one half 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.
5. 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 from 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 Cook’s 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 Cook’s 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, today’s
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 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.
Page 155 of 482
