Green Spring Farm Part 8

III. THE LOG CABIN

Located approximately 90 feet northeast of the main house is a small one-story house of log construction. Its date of construction is uncertain, although it is possible that this building is the "Servants' House" referred to in the notice of the commissioner's sale of the farm following the death of William Moss in 1835.[102]

During the Straights' occupancy of the farm, the cabin was renovated and converted into a guest house. During the later years, their son, David, lived in the cabin.

The renovation carried out by the Straights resulted in enlargement and reframing of the windows, reconstruction of the existing door on the west side, and reconstruction of the brick chimney at the north end of the building. At the same time, another doorway was added on the east side (figure 18).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 19. Spring House Floor Plans, 1960]

IV. THE SPRING HOUSE

HISTORY. References to a spring house appear frequently in descriptions of Green Spring Farm during the nineteenth century.[103] The well watered character of the farm, possessing springs of its own and traversed by Turkey c.o.c.k Run, was an advantage of great value to all its owners. Quite possibly the presence of the springs was decisive in enabling both the Mosses and Fountain Beattie to make dairying a substantial part of the farm's operations. In the 1830's, many of the types of equipment and utensils typically used in making and preserving b.u.t.ter, cheese, and fresh milk were listed in inventories of personal property at the farm. During this period and later, the presence of the Little River Turnpike would have made it feasible to sell dairy products regularly in Alexandria, six miles away, and in the District of Columbia, nine miles away.[104] It is equally likely that a spring house was also one of the focal points of the farm's cider and brandy-making activities at those times when the orchards flourished.

After the sale of the farm by Fountain Beattie in 1917, the level of its operations gradually decreased. By 1940, the spring house stood unused, as neither dairying nor orchard activities were carried on.

Therefore, when the Straights ordered the renovation of the main house in 1942, it was suggested that the spring house be converted into a residence for the farm's caretaker.

Conversion of the spring house into a residence was carried out under the direction of Walter Macomber of Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C., who also had been in charge of remodeling the main house. Using the basic stone sh.e.l.l of the house, which was structurally sound, a two-story house was designed with living room, bedroom, kitchen, and utility (heater) room on the first floor and a bedroom, bathroom, and storage area on the second floor.[105] (See figure 19.) In this work, new materials were used, except that slate s.h.i.+ngles taken from the main house (where the roof was being replaced) were used for roofing the spring house.

In 1961, the second major remodeling of the house enlarged it and attempted to reduce the dampness due to its location in the midst of the springs. The architects for this work were Keyes, Lethbridge & Condon of Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C. As a result of this work, the roof was raised to permit construction of a new bedroom and storage room on the second floor. On the first floor, enclosure of a porch permitted the addition of a bathroom and closet to the downstairs bedroom.

Substantial remodeling of the kitchen was also undertaken, in which a closet was converted into cabinets, new flooring was laid, and new kitchen fixtures were installed.

EXTERIOR. The original portion of the spring house is constructed of stone, with stucco exterior finish. The frame addition is covered with rough-sawn redwood lap siding over half-inch vapor-sealed sheathing.

The roofing for this portion of the house is slate s.h.i.+ngles, matching the slate roof of the original portion which used s.h.i.+ngles taken from the mansion house when it was renovated in 1942. Copper gutters and downspouts were installed in 1961, as was copper flas.h.i.+ng at the base of the chimney.

a.s.sOCIATED BUILDINGS

I. THE TOBEY HOUSE

[98] t.i.tle to the property on which the house was built remained in Michael and Belinda Straight.

[99] "A New House with Young Ideas," _House and Garden_, December 1958.

[100] David Condon, AIA, interview December 12, 1969. Initially it was proposed to locate the house with its back to a line of trees separating the upper and lower portions of the pasture west of the main farm house. This would have taken advantage of the view to the west of the house, considered to be its best view.

Ultimately, however, the house was located in the lower pasture, closer to the Little River Turnpike but screened from the highway by a line of trees planted for that purpose.

[101] _Ibid._ This is the opinion of David Condon, who served as architect for both the original building and its subsequent addition. He notes that the building's style was rare in the Eastern United States, although it had appeared and was popular on the West Coast.

III. THE LOG CABIN

[102] _Alexandria Gazette_, November 6, 1839, advertis.e.m.e.nt.

IV. THE SPRING HOUSE

[103] _Alexandria Gazette_, November 6, 1839, advertis.e.m.e.nt; John Mosby Beattie, interview April 17, 1969.

[104] John Schlebecker, Curator, Division of Agriculture and Mining, Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Inst.i.tution, Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C. Interview held February 26, 1969.

[105] Walter Macomber, interview July 16, 1968. It appears that no drawings were made of the spring house as it appeared before its conversion into a caretaker's residence, and no plans have been preserved to show the construction undertaken for the conversion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Figure 20. Fairfax County Property Identification Map, 1969, Green Spring Farm, Quadrant 72-1.]

APPENDIX A

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA COUNTY OF FAIRFAX HISTORIC LANDMARKS SURVEY

Name of Property: Green Spring Farm (Moss House)

Owner: Michael W. Straight et ux.

Location (Street Address): 4601 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, Va.

Mailing Address: c/o Mudge, Stern, Baldwin & Todd, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005

Other Locational Data: One block east of Braddock Road, on Little River Turnpike.

Acreage: 31.688

Property Identification Number: 72-1-001-24

Deed Book Reference: Deed Book P 15, page 145.

Location of t.i.tle: Fairfax County Courthouse

a.s.sessed Value: $93,415 ($17,365 buildings) January 1969 listing.

Zoning Status: RE-0.5

Present Use: Residence

Restrictions: ----

Magisterial District: Mason

Planning District: Annandale

Open to Public: No

Setting: House itself is well screened from the road, and the garden in back has been well designed.