Hansbrough Property - Bristersburg, Virginia

This property was likely purchased by Elijah Hansbrough in 1812. He was born in Stafford county and moved to Fauquier County after the purchase of this property, the same year he married Margaret Starke, who was born in Bristersburg.

(text from flanaganfamily.net) Elijah was born in Stafford in 1775; died before August 27, 1849, when his will was recorded in the Fauquier County Court. He was a resident of Stafford until 1812, when in a deed he is spoken of as "of Fauquier." After his removal to Fauquier, he invested heavily in real estate. On November 9, 1812, he purchased 420 acres; on April 22, 1818, he purchased 218 acres; on October 10, 1821, he purchased 58 acres and 152 acres; 65 acres were purchased on December 22, 1826; 11 acres on December 25, 1826; and 179 acres in Stafford and Fauquier on October 15, 1830.

By his will, dated March 1, 1848, Elijah left his estate to be divided among his 11 children. According to the inventory and appraisement of his personal estate, it was valued at $30,894.88.

There is a long and interesting preamble to his will, which also states that he was in the 74th year of his age. He mentions his children all by name, but his wife is not mentioned as she died 13 years before him. From the marriage licenses of several of his children, however, we learn that her christian name was Margaret.

More research to be done.

Structures include:
House foundation that measures 48 feet long, 29 feet wide, with a 13.5 foot chimney.
Barn foundation (assumed) that meansures 54 feet wide by 30 feet deep. The stones are dry stacked with no mortar
Cemetery with 4 foot high dry stacked stone wall that does have some damage and fallen sections. The inside of the cemetery measures approx. 66 feet wide by 42 feet deep.
Bottom mill stone. Approx 4 feet by 4 feet solid granite with iron alignment pin in the middle. Note the linear grooves in the stone. The top mill stone was not located or searched for.

Video

A video tour of the property and cemetery with Jason Graves, Exploring History Together YouTube Channel.

Pictures

Pictures taken April 2022

On the 1857 marriage license Jonathan Hansbrough was listed as a "farmer and a resident of Hansbrough's Mill"

Cemetery pictures taken on the same day but with two different cameras of the area before the clean up.

Headstones visable on the first day.

Stone of R. S. Gorrell. He likely lived on the farm after the Hansbrough family left. He is on an 1876 map, died in 1879. His death is much later than the others. A maker's mark is on the stone, C.W. Smith of Warrenton, Virginia. The stone was cleaned and reset.

Pictures taken same day, after cleanup.

Pictures taken September 2022

We returned to the cemetery to reset one of the headstones that was repaired off site. Note the two large headstones on the right are new. They were discovered buried just below the surface and reset. They are the headstones for Elijah Hansbrough (died 1848) and Margaret Starke Hansbrough (died 1835). All stones were previously cleaned with water and sprayed with D2, which is still reacting to and removing the biological growth.