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Welcome to Springfield Plantation in
Halifax County, Virginia, a quiet world of pine forests,
tobacco fields and rolling farm land. Halifax County
continues to be an exciting community where history is
preserved for the future.
Originally built prior to 1842, this rare jewel Greek
Revival home boasts of outstanding craftsmanship second
to none. In the mid 19th Century, many prosperous
Americans believed that ancient Greece represented the
spirit of democracy. Interest in British styles waned
during the bitter War of 1812. Greek Revival
architecture began with public buildings in
Philadelphia. Many European-trained architects designed
the popular Grecian style to spread through carpenter's
guides and pattern books. Colonnaded Greek Revival
mansions also called Southern Colonial houses, sprang up
throughout the American South. With its classic bold and
simple lines, it became the most predominate housing
style in the United States.
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One of the many pleasures of owning an old home is
delving behind its historical facade, and discovering
the story of its past lives. During the Civil War as
many as 20 refugees were at Springfield at one time.
General Custer camped a day and a night in the front
yard of the mansion on his march along the River Road. This historic gem retains
the grace and simplicity of a by gone era, the character
and charm of the house's origin have been so perfectly
restored and at the same time, brought into the 21st
Century with modern amenities. Retained by the same
family for over seven generations, originally Springfield was a
frame house built in 1799 by James Chalmers, a Scottish
immigrant. Springfield as we know it today, was
constructed in 1841 under the architectural oversight of
Jeffersonian architect and builder, Dabney Minor Cosby
and master craftsman Thomas Day of Milton, NC.
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During construction
of the front of the house, the family
lived in the old frame house behind it.
When the front was completed, the old
part was rolled away on logs to the back
of the garden to be used as servant
quarters, allowing the back wing to be
constructed. Mr. Chalmers inspected each
of the bricks made and burned on site,
those not suitable for the mansion were
used for construction of the kitchen and
dairy. All of the exterior woodwork is
locust, which was sunk and seasoned in
the Dan River for three years to prevent
warping. Built as a 'T" shaped house,
unusual features abound in this rare
Virginia property. The
elegant foyer experience begins through
the gorgeous transom entryway with
double chamfered paneled front doors and
over the stone threshold. Throughout the
home, the window and door sills are of
limestone quarried from nearby Sandy
Creek. Unprecedented craftsmanship
revels throughout the home with
prominent characteristics of Day's work.
While no two of the four carved mantles
carved by Day are alike, the parlor
fireplace Ionic capital columns are a
duplication of the columns on the front
porch. The wildly imaginative "S" shaped
newel post on the staircase complements
the simple, unturned balusters and
beautiful vine leaf spandrel. Not to be
disputed, Springfield was given a
quality rating of "high" by the Historic
American Buildings Survey.
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