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A Web Exhibit produced by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.
The Harrisonburg-Rockingham
Historical Society was given a rare opportunity to record an early Valley home
before it was razed. Thanks to the foresight of our County Supervisors, a team
of volunteers from the Historical Society was sent out to measure, photograph
and retrieve pieces of the dilapidated Belle Grove, located just north of the
Harrisonburg city line.
Belle Grove, not to be confused with the Middletown plantation of the same name, was a grand estate constructed probably between 1820 and 1840. The two-story Georgian home was situated on a remote hill north of Harrisonburg with majestic views of the Massanutten and Allegheny mountain ranges. A grand hallway welcomed guests and the parlor beckoned them further. At the rear of the house, a kitchen was separated from the main residence by a more simple service stair, still grand by many standards. While the house was representative of the time period in which it was built, fascinating architectural details were discovered, like the molded brick cornice.
By the time Rockingham County purchased the farmland incorporating Belle Grove in 2000, one exterior wall had completely collapsed. The land, situated between Route 11 and Kratzer Road, is reserved for future economic development. The remainder of the house was razed in Spring 2001.
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