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WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION OF VIRGINIA
HISTORICAL INVENTORY
52
COUNTY: King George
CLASS: Home
Photograph
SEE PICTURE COLLECTION
"FRIEDLAND"
This write-up is a part of the Virginia W.P.A.
Historical Inventory Project sponsored by the
Virginia Conservation Commission under the
direction of its Division of History. Credit to both
the Commission and W.P.A. is requested for
publication, in whole or in part. Unless otherwise
stated, this information has not been checked for
accuracy by the sponsor.
Research made by
Julia Marie Heflin,
Cropp, Virginia. July 28, 1937.
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KG.52
1. SUBJECT:
"Friedland"
No one knows why this place was named "Friedland", but
it has always been known by this name.
2. LOCATION:
9 miles southwest from King George Courthouse, Virg-
inia, on Route #3. .8 of a mile north of Sealston,
Virginia, on Route #603. .8 of a mile east on pri-
vate road.
3. DATE:
1720.
4. OWNERS:
Alexander Seymour Hooe bought the estate about 1720 or
earliest.
In 1835, Alexander Seymour Hooe's willed "Friedland"
to Mason Hooe children.
In 1859 or 1860, Miss Georgeann Hooe received the es-
tate by will from her father.
In 1889 or 1890, Major Edwin S. Ruggless bought the
estate.
(Deed Book 41, page 12), December 28, 1928, Mr. Henry
Chinn bought the estate.
(Deed Book 44, page 358), February 11, 1933, Mr. Samuel
A. Hays and Mr. Bertram A. Woodfork bought "Friedland"
and are the present owners.
5. DESCRIPTION:
"Friedland" house is located on a high hill above a
small creek. The house is in a grove of large oak
trees. It is a "T" plan with a large cellar. The
house is a three and half story, frame structure;
gabled roof covered with shingles. There are two
very large brick chimneys located east and west. The
weatherboarding is plain and plain wood cornices. There
are thirty-seven windows; twenty-five windows, eigh-
teen panes each 8' x 10'; four windows, twelve panes
each 8' x 10'; seven windows, nine panes each 8' x 10'
and one window, eight pane 8' x 10' and four dormers,
twelve panes each with gabled roof.
The entrance is in a small hall, no porch, the door
is double with transom. There are seven rooms in the
house--some large and others are small and the approx-
imate ceiling height twelve feet. The stairway is
the closed string with hand rail and baluster and on
the opposite side of the stairway is paneled wainscot-
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KG.52
#2.
ing. The cellar has four large finished rooms,
with brick and cement flooring. The doors are six-
panel and four-panel with "HL" hinges and plain locks.
The walls plastered, the dining and living rooms have
the paneled wainscoating, while the other rooms have
plain. The planks of the floor are narrow and wide,
not uniform in size. The mantels in the dining and
living rooms are very beautiful, paneled from ceil-
ing down to the self, then the panels come down on
each side of the fireplace.
6. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Alexander Seymour Hooe married Elizabeth Barnes Mason.
Alexander Seymour Hooe built "Friedland" as a summer
home because those who lived on the river in the win-
ter usually moved to the hills in the summer.
Alexander Seymour Hooe had three sons, who lived here
in their boyhood. Seymour, Mason and Emmett were the
boys names. Mason died at sea while in command of
the United States bark "Shark"--he and most of the
crew dying of yellow fever, during the Mexican war.
Emmett, after killing two men in a duel, died at sea
off New York harbor during the Mexican war. Seymour,
was promoted to major for bravery at Palo Alto and
Renesca de las Palma and was mortally wounded at
Monlina de Ray. The shock of the death of these three
young men was so great on the family that their mother
died. She was followed within a year by their father.
After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Seymour
Hooe and their three sons, "Friedland" was willed to
Mason Hooe's children. This estate remained in the Hooe'
family until it was sold in 1928.
7. ART:
Photograph
8. SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
Informants: Mr. D. L. Thomspon, Sealeton, Virginia.
Mrs. Frank Taylor, Sealeton, Virginia
Court Records, Clerk's Office,
King George, Virginia.
Deed Book 41 page 12
Deed Book 44 page 356.
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KG.52
3686
ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING CALLED FOR IN
5-A. of BULLETIN 3400
Name of Building "Friedland"
EXTERIOR
1. Building Plan "T" Cellar (x)
2. No. of stories ( 3 1/2 ) Attic classed as 1/2 story.
3. Material: Brick ( ) Frame (x) Stone ( ) Log ( )
4. If brick, state what bond: Flemish ( ) English ( ) Common ( ) Other ( )
5. Kind of roof: Hip ( ) Gabled (x) Gambrel ( ) Lean-to ( ) Deck ( )
6. If church, describe or draw sketch of roof on reverse side.
7. Roof Material: Slate ( ) Shingle (x) Metal ( ) Tile ( )
8. Chimneys: Number (2) Brick (x) Stone ( ) East and west ends.
9. Weatherboarding: Yes. Beaded ( ) Plain (x)
10. Cornices: Plain or Elaborate Plain. Material Wood.
11. Windows: Number (37) Size and number of panes 25 windows, 18 panes each;
4 windows, 12 panes each;
7 windows, 9 panes each; 1 window, 8 pane, size of each pane 8 by 10
12. Shutters: Describe: None.
13. Dormers: Number, and Shape of roof Four dormers with a gabled roof to
each.
14. Porch: None.
15. Type of Entrance: Double-door with transom.
16. Columns: Doric ( ) Ionic ( ) Corinthian ( ) Square ( )
INTERIOR
17. No. of Rooms: (7) Large (x) Small (x) Approximate ceiling height 12 feet.
18. Stairway: Open String ( ) Closed String (x) Describe: Hand rail and baluster
plain, and on the op-
posite side of the stairway is paneled wainscoating.
19. Cellar: Describe Four large finished rooms.
20. Doors: Style and type of wood Eight-six panel doors and three
four panel doors.
21. Walls: Panelled, papered, or painted. Plastered. Some of the rooms have
paneled-wainscoating while the
wainscoating of the other rooms are plain.
22. Interior Cornices None.
23. Hardware: Locks and hinges HL hinges. Plain locks.
24. Floors: The planks are narrow and wide, not uniform in size.
25. Mantels: The mantels are very elaborate.
26. Misc:
27. Present condition and state if spoiled architecturally by remodelling:
Very good.
28. Does occupant seem to appreciate old architectural features? Yes.
Your Name Julia Marie Heflin.