Historical Structure Project: Magnolia Grange

Description:

Magnolia Grange was built in 1823 by William Winfree, and is notable as one of the few examples of Federal architecture still standing in Chesterfield county. The house stands two stories tall, and is laid out in a simple, double-pile design with a central passage on both floors. On the first floor there is a parlor, dining room, modernized kitchen, music room, and a central stairwell. The second floor holds a library, guest bedroom, nursery, and a master bedroom. Over the years the house has retained almost all of its original trim. The most notable examples include the elaborate Federal mantels, cornices and ceiling medallions in the parlor dining room. The second-floor rooms are also significant for their mantels, as well as their molded chair rails.  The central passageway is largely taken up by the open-string, u-shaped stairway. The exterior of the house is constructed of brick. The façade was laid using Flemish bond, while the side and rear walls were laid using common bond. The façade is dominated by a central, two-story portico that features a double door with elliptical fanlights and sidelights on both levels. The entirety of the house is encircled by Doric style cornice.[1]

Historical Context:

Magnolia Grange is significant mainly for its architecture. In addition to being one of the oldest remaining houses in the county, it is also one of the very few formal brick houses of its kind in the area. While it may lack the curved interiors of many Federal style buildings, its detailed and beautiful interior and exterior have set it apart from other buildings in the county since it was built.[2] Another area of significance is the contributions of some of its residents to the community. One of the residents, Stephen Duval, built a tavern on the northern end of the property. Though the tavern is no longer standing, for a time it helped bring business to the community. Later, the descendants of Emma Cogbill, who purchased the property in 1881, would make an even greater impact on the community. Several of them served as Commonwealth’s attorneys, a state senator, and a county clerk.[3] One final area of significance is the house’s Civil War history. In May, 1864, Magnolia Grange (then simply known as the Winfree House) was at the center of the Battle of Chester Station.[4] According to at least one report the house was used to provide cover for Union sharpshooters, and the Union artillery batteries were so close their shots shattered the windows.[5] Whether these stories are true is not known for certain, however it is undoubtable that Magnolia Grange was the center of the fighting.

History of Treatment:

Magnolia Grange has housed many different owners over its history. It was originally built in 1823 by William Winfree, whose family had deep roots in the area. The property remained in the Winfree family until 1845. After being sold by the family, the house went through multiple owners, many of whom were forced to sell the house due to financial troubles soon after acquiring it. This cycle continued until 1861 when the house was purchased by Stephen Duval. After Duval the house was owned by two more residents before being acquired by Emma Cogbill in 1881. This marked the beginning of Magnolia Grange’s single longest period of ownership, as the house remained in the Cogbill family until 1969 when it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Philip Daffron, who owned the house at the time of its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.[6] The property was later owned briefly by the Magnolia Investments Association before being purchased by the County of Chesterfield which is the current owner.[7]

Magnolia Grange has seen very little major change since it was built. The only major additions to the interior of the house are a remodeled, modern kitchen[8] and the recent installation of a modern HVAC system.[9] The exterior of the house has seen more significant change. The rear wall has required significant rebuilding due to issues regarding its structural integrity. The rear wall also originally featured a one-story porch that was removed sometime before the Cogbill family sold the house. The roof of the building features five chimneys, but only four are original. The fifth chimney is fake and was built to conceal wiring and ductwork that was installed during restoration. Finally, there is a partial cellar below the house that was dug c. 1900 in order to provide room for the installation of a furnace.[10]

Current and Future Use:

Magnolia Grange is primarily used today as a house museum depicting life in the early 19^th century. However, it also serves a number of other functions. It is used by the county to host visiting officials from other cities and counties as well as hold official county ceremonies and historical society functions. The house is also home to the Chesterfield County Historical Society’s gift shop. It is the goal of the historical society to one day be able to rent the building for use in private events. Before that can happen however, there are a number of improvements that need to be done. There is a campaign underway to raise enough money to pay for necessities such as new carpet, paint, wallpaper, repairs to the molding, extermination work, new furniture, and basement and baseboard repairs. [11]

This picture shows the hipped roof
characteristic of Federal architecture.

Physical Investigation:

Magnolia Grange has many features that identify it as a Federal style structure. These can be used to narrow down the time in which it was constructed.

1.      Elliptical entryway fanlights. These fanlights are typical of Federal constructions[12] and soon went out of style when Greek Revival architecture became common in the 1830s and 1840s.[13]

The exterior cornice can
be seen at the top of the
portico.

2.      Low hipped roof. While not limited solely to Federal architecture, this type of roof is the most common type used on Federal structures.[14]

3.      Decorative exterior cornice. This again is not limited to Federal structures, but is  a typical feature of them.[15]

4.      Elaborate, decorative mantles.

5.  Ceiling medallions.

6.      Curved, classically decorated staircase.[16]

The entryway is dominated by this elaborate staircase.

An example of the many ceiling medallions
Magnolia Grange features.

Bibliography:

Chesterfield County. “Base Parcel Information, Magnolia Grange.” Real Estate Assessments. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.chesterfield.gov/eservices/realestateassessments/LegacyService/Detail_Base.asp

Chesterfield County Historical Society. “Own a Piece of Chesterfield County History.” Chesterfield County Historical Society. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://chesterfieldhistory.com/Historic-Sites/Revive-Magnolia-Grange.html 

Cranford, George. “The Yellow House.” The Village News. Last modified May 4, 2016. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://villagenewsonline.com/2016/05/04/the-yellow-house/

Historic New England. “Architectural Style Guide.” Preservation at Historic New England. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/your-older-or-historic-home/architectural-style-guide#federal-adam-1780-1820

National Park Service. “CWSAC Battle Summaries: Chester Station.” The American Battlefield Protection Program. Accessed December 4, 2016. https://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va051.htm

Press Release. Village News. May 11, 2016.

Poppeliers, John C. What Style is it?: A Guide to American Architecture. Washington D.C.: The Preservation Press., 1983.

Virginia Department of Historic Resources. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Magnolia Grange. Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Stagg. Form no. 10-300. 1979. Accessed Dec 4, 2016. http://dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Chesterfield/020-0074_Magnolia_Grange_1980_Final_Nomination.pdf

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[1]Virginia Department of Historic Resources. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Magnolia Grange. Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Stagg. Form no. 10-300. 1979. Accessed Dec 4, 2016. Pg. 2 http://dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Chesterfield/020-0074_Magnolia_Grange_1980_Final_Nomination.pdf 

[2] Ibid., 3

[3] Ibid., 3

[4] National Park Service, “CWSAC Battle Summaries: Chester Station.” The American Battlefield Protection Program. Accessed December 4, 2016. https://www.nps.gov/abpp/battles/va051.htm

[5]Cranford, George, “The Yellow House.” The Village News, Last modified May 4, 2016. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://villagenewsonline.com/2016/05/04/the-yellow-house/  

[6] Ibid., 3

[7] Chesterfield County. “Base Parcel Information, Magnolia Grange.” Real Estate Assessments. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.chesterfield.gov/eservices/realestateassessments/LegacyService/Detail_Base.asp

[8] Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Registration Form,3 http://dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Chesterfield/020-0074_Magnolia_Grange_1980_Final_Nomination.pdf

[9] Press Release, Village News, May 11, 2016.

[10] Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Registration Form, 3

[11] Chesterfield County Historical Society, “Own a Piece of Chesterfield County History” Chesterfield County Historical Society, Accessed December 4, 2016. http://chesterfieldhistory.com/Historic-Sites/Revive-Magnolia-Grange.html 

[12] Historic New England. “Architectural Style Guide.” Preservation at Historic New England. Accessed December 4, 2016. http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/your-older-or-historic-home/architectural-style-guide#federal-adam-1780-1820

[13] Poppeliers, John C, What Style is it?: A Guide to American Architecture. Washington D.C.: The Preservation Press., 1983. 36-37

[14] Ibid., 36-37

[15] Ibid., 36-37

[16] Historic New England, “Architectural Style Guide.”  http://www.historicnewengland.org/preservation/your-older-or-historic-home/architectural-style-guide#federal-adam-1780-1820

Reflection on Studying Magnolia Grange

Choosing a structure to study was relatively simple. Virginia is filled with historic structures, and the county I live in is no different. There are many buildings and museums within driving distance that I’ve never visited. Magnolia Grange was simply the first one that came to mind. In hindsight, it probably would have been better to choose a structure that more accessible information about it. My initial plan was that I would be able to visit the house as well as the local historic society research library during Thanksgiving break. As it turns out I was unable to do either due to odd museum hours and a busier than expected Thanksgiving. This unfortunately limited my research to what could be found online, and like most other small house museums, there was very little to be found. One incredibly useful source was the nomination form to put the house on the National Register of Historic Places Inventory. This form was essentially an abbreviated historic structures report. While useful, the form did not go into very much detail on anything, and was completed in 1979. That left a 37 year gap to be filled in by other sources. I was able to find out through a local newspaper about some restoration that had been done earlier this year, and I learned that there were two sales of the property since the nomination form had been done.

Despite the lack of easily accessible information on the structure, I was able to gain a much better understanding of Magnolia Grange through this project. On the surface, the house is only remarkable for its architecture, but on closer examination it became obvious that the occupants of the house had made an incredible impact on their community. I believe this is important to remember when engaging in public history because it serves as a reminder that a historic structure is often important in more ways than one.