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WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION OF VIRGINIA
HISTORICAL INVENTORY
112
COUNTY: Spotsylvania
CLASS: Home
Photograph
SEE PICTURE COLLECTION
"ROXBURY"
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
Sue K. Gordon,
Fredericksburg, Va. September 22, 1937.
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5P-112
1. SUBJECT:
"Roxbury".
2. LOCATION:
12 miles from Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1/4 mile west
from the old Telegraph Road, or Route #1.
3. DATE:
About 1743.
4. OWNERS:
Stanards owned it up to 1901.
Pierce 1901.
Jack Aston 1901-1911.
Estate of Jack Ashton, or New York Life Insurance
Company, 1911-1933.
Mrs. V. R. Pierson 1933-to the present time.
5. DESCRIPTION:
This was a large, two story frame building, hall through
the middle, two rooms on each side, small square porch at
the front, facing the river.
Records indicate that Mr. Beverley Stanard moved to "Rox-
bury" in 1743, so we are assuming that it was then the old
mansion was erected. We do know that in 1750 he was living
in the county, because on April 19, 1750, he was given a
license in this county to marry Elizabeth Beverley Chew.
The original tract was known as the "Roxbury plantation"
and consisted of 2,000 acres of land, which ran to the Po
and Ni rivers. The land has gradually been sold, and now
"Roxbury" farm consists of 725 acres of tillable and wooded
land.
You can still see remnants of the foundation of the dwell-
ing, and many old trees in what was the yard. The kitchen,
which is a log house, with large brick chimney, two very
large fireplaces in the two rooms on the first floor, and
fireplaces in the two rooms above.
The logs on the outside have been covered, but they can
be seen inside the house. Originally the kitchen had four
rooms, two on the first floor and two above, and a boxed in
stairway. The stairway is the same, but several rooms have
been added.
There is a flagstone walkway to what must have been the
dairy, which is a stone building, plastered inside, saw-
dust in the walls, and attractive cupboards built in the
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5P-112
#2:
walls. The old shingle roof has collapsed, but the owners
are going to have it restored.
The overseer's house is still standing, and in good con-
diton, a double house, with two large brick chimneys, and
you can see where there was a yard, with trees and flowers.
The Stanards must have been flower loving people, as they
had borders of jonquils and early spring flowers from the
house to the Po river, which is approximately one quarter
of a mile from the dwelling, south.
To the north there was a park, filled with a variety of
forest trees. Remnants of them can still be seen.
Approximately half a mile from the house, overlooking the
Po river, is the graveyard. It is thickly covered with
periwinkle, large trees, -holly, dogwood, and red oak, and,
rather remarkable, no underbrush, making an even green of
periwinkle, with tall limbs from these graceful trees mak-
ing a dense shade.
Mr. Beverley Stanard rests at this peaceful spot. His grave
is marked by a tomb which is much defaced, and very diffic-
cult to decipher.
Beverley Stanard. Born in England 1721.
Died 1765.
There are only two tombs in the graveyard. The other one
is marked as follows:
Sacred to the memory of Caroline M. O. Stanard
the amiable and beloved wife of Eaton Stanard
Born December 12, 1802-Died 1826-
She was the wife of Eaton Stanard, Mr. Beverley Stanard's
son.
6. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The Stanards were a very prominent family in Virginia.
The first one was Beverley Stanard. He came from Eng-
land and settled in Middlesex County. He then removed to
Spotsylvania County (prior to 1750) where his children
made their homes.
Beverley Stanard married Elizabeth Beverley Chew, as stated
above, and they had three sons and one daughter. The sons
were named William, Larkin and Beverley. William and Larkin
had large families, but Beverley never married.
William, the eldest son, inherited "Roxbury", a fine home-
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#3.
stead, and a very rich farm.
William married the daughter of Edward Carter, of Blenheim
(son of Robert Carter of Shirley, Charles City County, who
was the former Colonial Governor, Treasurer, Secretary and
Councillor, successively, of Virginia).
In 1802 a bond was issued to William Stanard as Sheriff of
Spotsylvania County. He served from 1802 to 1804.
William Stanard, of "Roxbury", son of Beverley Stanard, was
Justice of Spotsylvania County in 1787. He was also a ves-
tryman of St. George's Church.
Robert Stanard, son of William Stanard, and grandson of
Beverley Stanard, of "Roxbury", was born in Spotsylvania
County of August 17, 1781. He attended William and Mary
College in 1798, studied law and began the practice.
He was very much discouraged at first, but through his
father's influence he persevered, and became very promi-
nent at the Richmond bar about the time that John Wickham,
William Call, and their contemporaries left the field of
action. He was a member of the State Convention of 1829-
1830, which revised the constitution. He made a great im-
pression in that Assembly of able men. When Judge Brocken-
brough died in 1839, Mr. Stanard was elected to succeed a
very able, just man and fully qualified for the position.
He died while writing an opinion in Richmond on May 14,
1846.
Larkin Stanard, son of William, inherited Stanfield, Spots-
ylvania County.
In 1822 Eaton Stanard paid a tax on the estate of William
Stanard of $11.33, on 1574 acres.
In the will of Elizabeth H. Stanard, dated November 7, 1817,
proved March 2, 1818, she leaves all of her estate to her
daughters, stating that their father in his life time had
provided for the sons. She makes the exception in her son
William, to whom she bequeaths her "long easy sitting" chair
and her silver casters, and to her daughter Sarah two silver
ladles. She makes Robert Mackey, of Fredericksburg, her ex-
ecutor.
In 1814, Elizabeth Stanard (widow of William Stanard, of
"Roxbury"), conveyed to Robert Mackey lots 83-84. He built
a very handsome residence on these lots, and it is still
standing.
In 1808, Mr. Larkin Stanard, brother of William, was living
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#4.
at this location in a very handsome house which was de-
stroyed by fire. In those times is was the custom to
serve refreshments at funerals, and in baking cake for Mr.
Larkin Stanard's funeral, the kitchen caught on fire, and
the corpse had to be carried into the garden. Mr. Larkin
Stanard lived at one time at Stanfield, Spotsylvania County.
He was a cadet in the Revolution. Mr. Stanard was Treasurer
of the Fredericksburg and Tappahannock Jockey Club in 1798,
as indicated by a notice in the Virginia Herald, published
in Fredericksburg.
William Stanard, owner of "Roxbury", had twenty three chil-
dren, seventeen were christened, but only fourteen were rais-
ed to mature life. This old planation could certainly be
selected as an attractive, wholesome place to raise a large
family of twenty three.
We can readily see how Mr. Stanard provided a beautiful
table from the fine yield of the flat, fertile fields.
Approximately one-quarter of a mile from the dwelling he
operated a mill called the Roxbury Mill, which ground meal
as only water power can. This has been replaced by a furni-
ture factory.
It must have been a bright, outstanding home; massive, large
brick residence, surrounded by a yard of one-half an acre,
filled with flowers, trees and shrubs, and from a distance
the constant flow of the water from the old mill. He provided
not only the necessities, but beauty and pleasure also. We
can see that the park was laid out with thought and care. It
is filled with noble old trees, some of them broken, but the
limbs and bodies denoting age, some still graceful and pretty.
There are also bulbs which spring up in the spring of the
year. There is a fishing pond in the Po river, which still
affords pleasure to many, as the fish continue to bite as
they did in former days.
In the graveyard we can see that the dead were not always
left alone, as one old holly tree has many initials, and
hearts carved on it, and perhaps the young people used to
walk there, as well as through the avenue of trees, on each
side borders of flowers, to the river Po. There is one tree
in the graveyard which is especially noble looking. It is
a very tall tulip popular, and spreads its shade some dis-
tance.
Mr. Stanard must have been very philanthropic, as he left
his slaves a cabin and several acres of land. I saw two of
the houses, and one of them was being occupied by descend-
ants of the original slaves, and they had the same name,
Sample.
I regret to state that none of the Stanard family are living
in Fredericksburg, and I do not know of any in the county.
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#5.
7. ART:
Photograph
8. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Informant: Mrs. V. R. Pierson, Fredericksburg, Va.
Old Churches, Ministers, and Families of Virginia, by
Bishop Meade, Vol. 1, page 73, J. B. Lippincott and
Company, 1857, found in City and State libraries.
Virginia Genealogies, by Rev. Horace Edwin Hayden, M. A.,
Vol. 1, page 279, reprinted, A. L. Sauls Planograph Co.,
Washington, D. C., 1931, City and State libraries.
Minor Sketches of Major Folk, by Dora C. Jett, Vol. 1.
pages 109, 110, 111, Old Dominion Press, Richmond, Va.,
1928, at Wallace Library, Fredericksburg, Va.
William & Mary Quarterly, by Lyon G. Tyler, Vol. XXII,
pages 268-279, Whittet & Shepperson, Richmond, Va.,
1914, City and State libraries.
Notes from the Spotsylvania County Records, Virginia
Magazine of History & Biography, by William G. Stanard,
Vol. XVI, page 94, House of the Society, Virginia His-
torical Society, at Wallace Library, Fredericksburg, Va.
"The Virginia Herald", Newspaper published in Fredericks-
burg, in 1798.
Tax Book for Spotsylvania County in 1822, bound and kept
in the Wallace Library, Fredericksburg, Va.
Virginia Magazine of History & Biography, by William G.
Stanard, Vol. III, pages 269, 270, House of Virginia His-
torical Society, City and State Libraries.
Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, by Dr. L. G. Tyler,
Vol. II, page ____, City and State libraries.