Ravenscroft

Historically named Spring Bank

Three letters donated to the Virginia Historical Society in 2002 establish the original name given to the home of John S. Ravenscroft and his first wife Anne Spotswood Burwell Ravenscroft. Two letters (25 Jan. 1794 & 5 April 1794) are from Anne S. Ravenscroft at SPRING BANK to Lady Jean Skipwith atPrestwould.  The other letter (27 Sept. 1807) is from John Wickham, a Petersburg attorney, addressed to John S. Ravenscroft, Esq. at SPRING BANK Lunenburg County.

Summited by Robert A. Parker 8-04

Location:
Ravenscroft is in Lunenburg County on VA #49, Courthouse Rd (historically, City Road), northeast from Chase City in Mecklenburg. It is on the right .5 mi. before reaching secondary #630, Mitchell Dr. On VA Hwys Lunenburg County map, the intersection is identified as "Kell's Corner."

The John S. Ravenscroft Family
Ravenscroft , constructed in 1793, is the ancestral home of John Stark Ravenscroft and his wife, Anne Spotswood Burwell, daughter of Col. Lewis Burwell. Anne Ravenscroft, childless, died in 1818 after 23 years of marriage. Ravenscroft, having obtained eminence as a minister, moved to Raleigh, NC in 1823. He had remarried to Sarah Buford of Lunenburg. The second Mrs. Ravenscroft died in Williamsboro, NC in 1829, and was buried in St. John's cemetery. There were no children of this marriage either. While visiting an old friend in Raleigh, Ravenscroft died March 5, 1830, at the age of 57. His body was returned to Williamsboro and buried beside his wife, Sarah Buford Ravenscroft. Later his body was reinterred under the chancel at Christ Church, as he had requested.

John Stark Ravenscroft was son of Dr. John Ravenscroft and Lillias (Miller), daughter of Hugh Miller and Jane (Bolling), according to Ravenscraft Family Genealogy at web site of Bob Francis.

John S. Ravenscroft bequeathed the home place to sons of Dr. William Hepburn and wife __?__ McHarg. Hepburn's will in 1794 named John S. Ravenscroft among the guardians of his minor children.[Mecklenburg, VA. WB 3:234] Only two of the Hepburn children survived to manhood.

[Much of the above was derived from and detailed article by Betty Jo Byars, pp 1 & 1-A of 23 Nov. 1972 issue of The Chase City Progress, "Ravenscroft Regains Former Name, Beauty."]

The 1810 Lunenburg Census shows John S. Ravenscroft and female ages 26 and under 45. Slaves numbered nine. No children were indicated in the household.

See article on Ravenscroft provided by The Lunenburg County Historical Society.

---

The Hepburn Era at Ravenscroft: - by JoLee Spears

For more on Swepsons and Hepburns, see: Some Descendants of William Mallory Swepson.

It was not determined when the Hepburns came to reside at Ravenscroft, but probably by census year 1840 when Alexander was listed head of family. Alexander M. Hepburn married 29 Oct. 1844 (bond 16 Sept) in Mecklenburg Co., VA to Charity A. Swepson. The gravestone of Alexander McHarg Hepburn at Ravenscroft places his death in 1845.

The household in 1850 was headed by Ebenezer M. Hepburn, age 56. Listed also were Edward Goode, 45 miller; Robert Swepson 22, merchant; Philip Wallace 26, farm manager; three female Swepsons: Mrs. C. Swepson 32; Martha Swepson 22; and Mary Swepson 18. "Mrs. C. Swepson," listed under her maiden name, was the widow of Alexander Hepburn.

In 1851, Ebenezer Hepburn was taxed for 2,109 acres on waters of South Meherrin, 13 miles southwest of the courthouse. Amount added because of buildings was $5,500. The 1870 map of Lunenburg shows Hepburn's Mill on the South Fork of Meherrin, south of the home place. The mill likely was also owned by Ebenezer Hepburn. Mills added considerably to the taxable building value of a tract of land..

The 1860 Census household, again headed by E. M. Hepburn, shows Robert and Martha Swepson still in the household. (Robert R. and Martha A. Swepson prove to be brother and sister as seen in Saunders land transactions.) Also in the household were Thomas Ames, 19, merchant clerk; Ebenezza Jones 64, overseer; and an infant girl, M. H. Dodson, age 8/12.

Next household (maybe the same Hepburn property) were Dr. Wm. E. Dodson 42; C. A. Dodson 42 (f.); and Wm. S. Gordon, overseer, and family. (C. A. Dodson, as noted previously, was nee Charity A. Swepson, former widow of Alexander Hepburn.) The infant Dodson girl shown in the Hepburn household 1860 would have been a child of William and Charity. It is known from a Gregory family letter that Mrs. Dodson's funeral was 1 July 1861, and that she left two little children. Dr. Dodson had purchased in Lunenburg the Hyde Saunders estate, but land tax records don't indicate the occurrence of buildings on the property. Dr. Dodson died in 1867 and was buried in the Hepburn Cemetery at Ravenscroft.

The 19-year old Thomas Ames in the Hepburn household in 1860 is also buried in the Hepburn Cemetery. The connection was not learned. The stone reads: In Memory of Capt. Thos. S. Ames of Company C. 21 Reg. VA Volunteers Born Nov. 2, 1838 in Northampton Co., VA, aged 23 years, Killed Dec. 14, 1862 at the First Battle of Fredericksburg.

Ebenezer McHarg Hepburn born in 1794, died 1864.

The Ravenscroft plantation went through a succession of owners. In 1953 Colonel James C. Levi purchased the house and began restoration. He renamed it Magnolia Grove. Earlier deeds referred to it as the Kell Farm and Magnolia. After Levi's death, the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. French, who continued restoration of the home, renamed Ravenscroft honoring the original owner.

My recollection is the old home in the 1940's was referred to as Kell's Farm or Kell's Place. It was occupied by a Dockery family. The nearby intersection of #49 and #630 was referred to as Kell's Corner. - JoLee Gregory Spears

Notes from Gerald Reinder's survey of the Hepburn Cemetery:

Private Cemetery located in rear of Ravenscroft Estate, off Rt. 49, .5 Miles South of Rt. 630.

Ames, Thomas Shadragh 59th Va Inf Co H CSA    Killed @ Battle of Fredericksburg, VA 12-13-1862
Dodson, William Edward 11-7-1816 — 8-29-1867
Hepburn, Alexander McHarg 9-11-1792 — 11-1845
Hepburn, Ebenezer McHarg 3-30-1794 — 5-7-1864
Hepburn, William 2-11-1856 — 7-16-1856    Infant son of John A. & Mary E. Walker
Swepson, Charity Ann 3-8-1817 — 6-29-1861    Married to Alexander McHarg Hepburn 10-29-1844.
   Married to William Edward Dodson 10-29-1856.

Revenwood Article Update

Mr. Hooks says of this structure: "The building behind the house was described in the 1958 survey by the Historic American Buildings Survey. Several photos were made at that time and are in the collection of the Library of Congress. One shows the ruined building, which was apparently a kitchen and laundry downstairs, with slave quarters for two familes upstairs. There were two separate quarters upstairs, with no connection between the two."Ravenscroft
Lunenurg Co., VA

Article provided by The Lunenburg Historical Society - year 2002

Although no firm documentary evidence as to the date of construction has been found, several sources state that the Ravenscroft home was built in 1793. Lunenburg County records show that the land was deeded to John Stark Ravenscroft in that year by Colonel Lewis Burwell, but make no mention of the house. Construction details and decorative elements indicate that the carpenter and the stonemason for the house were the same as at Prestwould Plantation in Mecklenburg County, the home of Ravenscroft’s aunt, Jean Skipwith, and her husband, Sir Peyton Skipwith. Documents at Prestwould show that the Skipwiths hired John Inge as a carpenter and Jacob Shelor as a stonemason. The house was built in a late-Georgian style with a two-story hip roof center section and one-story hip roof wings on a high stone foundation. The pediment porch on the rear of the house is original. The front porch was added around 1830 and replaced a porch similar to the existing rear porch. Two small rooms on either end of the house were added at an unknown date, and may be small porches that were enclosed.

John Stark Ravenscroft and Ann Spotswood Burwell Ravenscroft

John Stark Ravenscroft was born at Maycox Plantation in Prince George County. He was the son of John and Lillias Ravenscroft. Lillias Miller Ravenscroft was the sister of Jean Miller Skipwith, second wife of Sir Peyton Skipwith of Prestwould Plantation. John Stark Ravenscroft married Ann Spotswood Burwell in 1792. She was the daughter of Colonel Lewis Burwell of Stoneland Plantation, just across the South Meherrin River in Mecklenburg County.

After Mrs. Ravenscroft died in 1814, Mr. Ravenscroft became active in the Episcopal Church, eventually becoming the first Episcopal Bishop of North Carolina. He is buried at Christ Church in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Other Residents

The home remained in the possession of the adopted sons of the Ravenscrofts, Alexander Hepburn and Ebernezer Hepburn, until 1864. At that time, the plantation included more than 5,000 acres between the Middle and South Meherrin Rivers.

Colonel James C. Levi purchased the home in 1953 and completed an extensive renovation. Later residents included members of the French family who still live in the area.

Restoration of the Home

Randolph Hooks purchased the home in October 1998 and began exterior renovations. The existing tin roof was replaced with a new tin roof. Carpentry work was required at several places in the attic to repair water damaged rafters and beams, particularly around the chimneys, as well as in the roof of the front porch. Almost all of the original heart pine weatherboarding is still in place with its original wrought nails. Minor termite damage was treated and repaired. A complete exterior paint job followed, with new louver shutters matching four remaining pairs of existing shutters.

Mr. Hooks plans to restore the interior of the home to its original appearance, with paint and decoration similar to the "first period" rooms at Prestwould. The first floor will include a master bedroom and bath, library, drawing room and dining room, with two bedrooms on the second floor. The kitchen will be moved to the basement, along with an informal dining room, den and office.