This land was bought November 4, 1760 by John Rhodes, Sr., from Thomas Palmer of New York, who had a grant from Lord Fairfax, dated May 22, 1751. Frederick County, VA Deed Book 6, page 83

It descended to his daughter, Annie Groves, wife of Christian Groves; and was bought in 1804 by Michael Rhodes, son of John Rhodes, Sr., and a brother of Annie Rhodes Groves.

In 1815, Michael Rhodes sold to his eldest son, John Rhodes, Jr., grandson of John Rhodes I. John Rhodes, Jr. built the brick house in 1825 and lived on the place until his death in 1862. He willed it to his son, Samuel, who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg, PA, in July 1863.

Samuel Rhodes' heirs sold to Abraham Rhodes, who died in 1887. Abraham Rhodes willed the property to Milton and Maggie Rhodes, brother and sister. Milton Rhodes died in 1936.

This two and one half story "L" shaped brick house has a metal gambrel style roof with three brick chimneys. There are nineteen windows with twelve 8x10 panes in the upstairs windows and fifteen 8x10 panes in the downstairs windows. There is a small front portico with champed posts and round railing with small slat banisters.

There are six large rooms with ten foot ceilings on the first floor and eight foot ceilings on the second floor. There is a cellar with a brick floor under part of the house. The walls are of gray mottled plaster and there are wide board ceilings with overhead log beams in the kitchen and the upstairs rooms. The floors are of medium width heavy boards.

This John Rhodes, Sr. was massacred by the Indians in 1764, as given in Kercheval's History of the Valley. However, Kercheval's account gives the date as 1766, but proof of the earlier date is found by deeds made out in 1765.

John Rhodes was a large land owner. He owned between 400 and 500 acres on the South Fork of the Shenandoah, and 625 acres on the North Fork at the mouth of Toms Brook, where this home is situated. During the flood of 1936, the water from Toms Brook and the Shenandoah River came into the house to a depth of five feet.

An old log house stands near the brick residence, and is still called the Thomas Palmer house. A large, old barn is still (1937) standing, showing very fine logs in good condition.

Source: Virginia W.P.A. Historical Inventory Project, 1937

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