Daniel: Deed, 1811 (7831445_0009_0004). Virginia Untold: The African American Narrative Digital Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.
Watch out for three more Magnolia Grange events before the end of the year! Check out our website at www.chesterfieldhsv.org to stay updated!
October’s DHR Highway Marker is Marker S-29_2, commemorating Magnolia Grange, a Federal period home currently open to the public as a museum! Built in 1822 and named for the magnolia trees that once filled its front lawn, the house was home to a series of families: The Winfrees (1822-1845), DuVals (1858-1876) and Perdues, Cogbills, then Daffrons (1880-1970). Almost demolished to make way for a shopping mall, CHSV advocated for Magnolia Grange’s preservation, leading to the Board of Supervisors purchasing the building in 1984. CHSV has since furnished and stewarded the home in partnership with Chesterfield County. Magnolia Grange was first listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register on November 20, 1979 and commemorated with Marker S-29_2 in 1988.
The Winfrees, their relatives, and the people they enslaved are all documented in local Chesterfield County records. A deed recorded at the county court in 1805 shows William Winfree and his brother, Valentine II, inheriting mother’s dower right to their father’s property, which includes two enslaved men named Hampton and Edom. William would use his part of the inheritance to build and inhabit Magnolia Grange, where he lived with his wife, Lucy Bass Winfree, and four children. To learn more about the Winfrees, visit Magnolia Grange, CHSV’s research library at Historic Trinity Church, and our website at www.chesterfieldhsv.org!
Text from Marker S-29_2:
Built in 1822 by William Winfree, this Federal-style house was named for the large stand of magnolia trees in the front yard. It was originally surrounded by a 600-acre farm. A nearby tavern provided lodging for persons with business at the Courthouse; a grist mill formerly stood on nearby Cold Water Run. From 1881 to 1969 it was the residence of the Cogbill family whose members figured prominently in the political history of Chesterfield County.
Read more about Magnolia Grange:
https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/020-0074/
https://www.chesterfieldhsv.org/magnolia-grange
https://www.nps.gov/articles/magnolia.htm
https://rosetta.virginiamemory.com/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3559018
Image Credits:
Chesterfield County Parks and Rec
Library of Virginia - Virginia Untold
CHSV
Chesterfield Parks and Recreation