4 May 1810: John Birt and Cathrine Nease to Jacob Zerfass and John Hammond

1813: Jacob Nease

11 Sep 1815: Joel Click

15 Apr 1822: John B. Steenbergen and Joel Click

1833: John and Mary Moore

31 Mar 1834: John Will

1 Aug 1851: Moses Frye

12 Jan 1856: George W. Minnick

1 Jan 1914: Miss Sarah L. Minnick

The first house built on this property was built about 1813. The big house was built by Moses Frye in 1855. Later, Mr. George Minnick added to it, but kept the woodwork the same. Mr. Frye built this house, so the story goes, for a home for his bride. But first one thing and then another went wrong and it seemed as if he could no finish it. Then just as he had the first part finished, Mr. Frye's wife died. This so discouraged him, that he sold the property to Mr. Minnick, who finished the house and added to it.

The house has two long panels in the doors with a moulding around it. The building now used as a wash-house, was the first house built on this property. It has been moved from what is now the hired help's garden to its present position at the road.

the stairs in the big house are just the straight enclosed kind in the back. The windows have three rows of moulding, alternating dark and light. The front hall is in the center of the house with stairs going up straight, and having three landings, one between each flight. The stairs have banisters with square rods. Scrolled triangles trim the side of the risers. The post at the foot is turned. The room on the right has plain windows and doors, and the doors have plain hinges and locks. A Mr. Joe Osburn did the carpenter work.

At the left and back of the house is a log building of some size, which was used for a Cabinet Maker's shop. This shop was built by John Will when he owned the property. He and Wesley Wayland (Dr. Wayland's father) worked in the shop at the Cabinet Maker's trade with Mr. Will. Later Mr. Minnick also worked here making furniture. Later, he took up the undertaking trade and was in this office until he died.

On the cliff or rocks in front of the house, so the story goes, a man by the name of John Jones was killed by an Indian as he looked for his father who had left the Fort at or near Forestville, to look about his harvest, and had not come back. The father was never found, but the son's horse was found near his home, so others came and saw where he had been shot and killed by the Indian. Mr. Jones was buried beside the creek and in later years, when Mr. Minnick dug for the foundation of his scales, he dug up the skeleton.

Mr. Minnick kept the skeleton in his undertaking shop until long after his death. One day, a Mr. White, from Rockingham County, Virginia, came with Dr. Wayland to gather some history of the Valley and asked about the story of the skeleton. After some discussion, it was decided that this was the remains of Brock White's great grandfather. Later he came back again and asked permission to bury the skeleton in the old Jones Cemetery, near Mount Clinton, Virginia. This request was granted and the skeleton is at rest there today. This happened about the year 1776. While John Jones was living at the Fort, a daughter was born to him, which was little Anne Jones, the grandmother of the great grandmother of Brock White.

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

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