University of Virginia Library

THE OLD MANSION

"Old Mansion" has the distinction of being the oldest house
in Caroline. Just when it was erected cannot be definitely stated

but it is quite certain that it was not later than 1675. The house
stands just to the south of the corporate limits of Bowling Green
and is probably in or about the center of that large tract of land
granted to Major Hoomes by the British Crown in 1670.

The structure is of the early colonial "one and a half story"
type and is said to have been built of bricks brought from England.
It is also said that this particular style of architecture prevailed
in the earliest colonial period because of the higher tax levied by
England on two story, or three story houses.

Little is known of Major Hoomes, grantee of this estate, save
that he had one son, Col. John Waller Hoomes, who was a great
sportsman and an importer of thorough-bred horses.

A race track circled the lawn, on either side of which cherry
trees were planted. There was also a fine bowling green before
the house, from which the estate was named. The giant cedars
which for more than a century bordered the avenue leading to
the house were brought, as tiny switches, from Gloucester county
in the saddle bags of Major Hoomes. Avenues of elms—old
English prides—graced the south side of the house, while on the
north were avenues of aspens. Box-bordered plots to the front
of the house and a succession of terraces on the west, or rear, added
to the natural beauty of the site.

When the county seat was removed from the original site
Col. Hoomes donated to the county sufficient land for the
Court House and other public buildings and also gave the name
of his estate—"Bowling Green"—to be the name of the county
seat, taking the name "The Mansion" for his place instead.
This name was changed, in the course of the years, to "Old
Mansion."

Col. John Waller Hoomes had one daughter, Sophia, who
married one Major Allen and for whom a frame addition was
added to the house. Later Col. Hoomes built his daughter a
home a short distance below "The Mansion" which was called
"Oak Ridge." There is a tradition that after removing to
"Oak Ridge" the daughter never again visited the old home by
daylight, but, according to stories accredited to her coachman,
she made long visits to by night.

Many ghost stories are associated with "Old Mansion"—as
with all old places—chief among these being the story that the
"ghost" of Col. Hoomes always appeared to each member of
the family before their death, walking out in full view, dressed
as when in the flesh and not in grave clothes. The appearance
of his "ghost" is said to have been an unfailing warning of the

approach of death to some member of the family. Another
equally hair-raising ghost story connected with this old place
is, that a headless horseman, riding furiously around the old
race track, always heralded the approaching death of an eldest
son.

There is a tradition that here an invalid wife was frightened
to death by her husband placing a hideous mask at the window
of her sick room, and that this husband, while enamoured of his
housekeeper, affected great grief at his wife's funeral, sitting his
horse backward and demanding a sheet for his tears. Growing
out of this tradition is another ghost story to the effect that the
spirit of this woman haunted the house for many years and that
groans, screams, stealthy footsteps and other fearful sounds,
drove tenant after tenant away from the place.

Still another tradition—this colored with a little historical
support—has it that on the spacious lawn Washington and his
weary soldiers, camped and rested en route to Yorktown; while
of more authentic historicity is the story that Washington, returning
from Yorktown, after the surrender of Cornwallis, made
a great banquet on the lawn in honor of LaFayette, which was
spread on three great tables extending almost across the lawn,
at one of which were seated the guests of honor, Washington and
the officers of his army and at the other two the private soldiers.

In 1842, Mr. William Grymes Maury purchased "Old Mansion"
and here brought up his large family of twelve children. In 1862
the place passed into the possession of Mr. James Thomas White,
who married Fenella Strachan Maury, second daughter of Wm.
Grymes Maury and remains in possession of the White family
to this day, being owned by Mrs. J. L. White, her son, John
Cary White, and her daughter, Anne Maury White, of Richmond.

A strange coincidence in connection with the recent ownership
is the fact that the late J. L. White, whose widow and children
now own the place, was a nephew—thrice removed—of Col.
John Waller Hoomes; and Mrs. J. L. White (nee Cary) was a
niece—thrice removed—of Mrs. John Waller Hoomes, who
graced the "Old Mansion" so long ago.