Pharsalia is a historic plantation house and farm complex located near Tyro, Nelson County, Virginia. The main house was built between 1814 and 1816 using slave labor, and is a one-story, 11 bay, linear, single-pile, Federal style, frame manor house. It has a standing seam metal gable roof and features a three-bay porch with a gable roof. It was enlarged in the mid-19th century to its current T-shaped plan. Also on the property are the contributing kitchen / laundry / slave hospital (1834), icehouse / School (c. 1834), crib barn (c. 1830), smokehouse (1814), weaving Room (c. 1814), several slave quarters (c. 1814, 1834), and privy (c. 1814). Also on the property are the sites of a commercial smokehouse (c. 1830) and mill (c. 1830).[3]
The property was ordered constructed by American planter and Revolutionary War veteran Thomas Massie as a wedding present for his son William Massie (1795-1862) and his first wife, Sarah Steptoe (1796-1828). At the height of ownership, William owned close to 200 enslaved African-Americans who lived in twenty-five slave quartering buildings on the property.[4] At William's death, there were 154 enslaved people living at Pharsalia who then fell into possession of his fourth wife, Maria Catherine Effinger (1814-1889), and his children.[5] William began slave record keeping in 1815 after being gifted his first twenty-one slaves from his father and an additional amount from his first father-in-law, James Steptoe.
Those enslaved at Pharsalia produced wheat, oats, hemp, tobacco, potatoes, bacon, whiskey, wool, apples, and other crops, and raised animals for the Massie family. William was also a prominent slave barterer, breeder, and seller in addition to owner, keeping meticulous records on those enslaved at Pharsalia and the crops they produced, and occasionally would detail their lives including their deaths and if they were sold and why in his "Negro Book."[6] Over the course of his ownership of Pharsalia, William maintained numerous bills of sale for enslaved men, women, and children, many of whom were related and were thus separated from their family members upon sale.[7]
Women and girls who were enslaved at Pharsalia were forced to have children as young as fourteen years old and would be forced to continue to have children for up to thirty years after; giving birth every one to two years. The higher the rates of survival for their births, the longer they were used by the Massie family for breeding.[8]
In 1859, three years before his death, William Massie recorded that he had 62 enslaved people working in the fields who earned him an average of $81.41 yearly each—an amount totaling $5,047.42 or the equivalent of $181,226.70 as of 2023.[9]
Civil Waredit
During the American Civil War, Pharsalia was opened to Confederate troops for quartering and feeding by William's widow, Maria Effinger, who provided Confederate soldiers in the region food and shelter.[10] Maria also contracted enslaved people at the Pharsalia plantation for laboring and impressment on Confederate fortifications, for horse maintenance and goods production during the war.[11]
^"Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
^Sandra F. Esposito (June 2009). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Pharsalia" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying four photos
pharsalia, tyro, virginia, pharsalia, historic, plantation, house, farm, complex, located, near, tyro, nelson, county, virginia, main, house, built, between, 1814, 1816, using, slave, labor, story, linear, single, pile, federal, style, frame, manor, house, sta. Pharsalia is a historic plantation house and farm complex located near Tyro Nelson County Virginia The main house was built between 1814 and 1816 using slave labor and is a one story 11 bay linear single pile Federal style frame manor house It has a standing seam metal gable roof and features a three bay porch with a gable roof It was enlarged in the mid 19th century to its current T shaped plan Also on the property are the contributing kitchen laundry slave hospital 1834 icehouse School c 1834 crib barn c 1830 smokehouse 1814 weaving Room c 1814 several slave quarters c 1814 1834 and privy c 1814 Also on the property are the sites of a commercial smokehouse c 1830 and mill c 1830 3 PharsaliaU S National Register of Historic PlacesVirginia Landmarks RegisterFront of the houseShow map of VirginiaShow map of the United StatesLocation2325 Pharsalia Rd Tyro VirginiaCoordinates37 48 07 N 79 01 23 W 37 80194 N 79 02306 W 37 80194 79 02306Area23 5 acres 9 5 ha Builtc 1814 1814 1816 c 1834Built byThomas Massie et al Architectural styleFederalNRHP reference No 09000395 1 VLR No 062 0428Significant datesAdded to NRHPJune 3 2009Designated VLRMarch 19 2009 2 It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 1 Contents 1 Slavery 2 Civil War 3 References 4 External linksSlavery editThe property was ordered constructed by American planter and Revolutionary War veteran Thomas Massie as a wedding present for his son William Massie 1795 1862 and his first wife Sarah Steptoe 1796 1828 At the height of ownership William owned close to 200 enslaved African Americans who lived in twenty five slave quartering buildings on the property 4 At William s death there were 154 enslaved people living at Pharsalia who then fell into possession of his fourth wife Maria Catherine Effinger 1814 1889 and his children 5 William began slave record keeping in 1815 after being gifted his first twenty one slaves from his father and an additional amount from his first father in law James Steptoe Those enslaved at Pharsalia produced wheat oats hemp tobacco potatoes bacon whiskey wool apples and other crops and raised animals for the Massie family William was also a prominent slave barterer breeder and seller in addition to owner keeping meticulous records on those enslaved at Pharsalia and the crops they produced and occasionally would detail their lives including their deaths and if they were sold and why in his Negro Book 6 Over the course of his ownership of Pharsalia William maintained numerous bills of sale for enslaved men women and children many of whom were related and were thus separated from their family members upon sale 7 Women and girls who were enslaved at Pharsalia were forced to have children as young as fourteen years old and would be forced to continue to have children for up to thirty years after giving birth every one to two years The higher the rates of survival for their births the longer they were used by the Massie family for breeding 8 In 1859 three years before his death William Massie recorded that he had 62 enslaved people working in the fields who earned him an average of 81 41 yearly each an amount totaling 5 047 42 or the equivalent of 181 226 70 as of 2023 9 Civil War editDuring the American Civil War Pharsalia was opened to Confederate troops for quartering and feeding by William s widow Maria Effinger who provided Confederate soldiers in the region food and shelter 10 Maria also contracted enslaved people at the Pharsalia plantation for laboring and impressment on Confederate fortifications for horse maintenance and goods production during the war 11 References edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 Virginia Landmarks Register Virginia Department of Historic Resources Retrieved 5 June 2013 Sandra F Esposito June 2009 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Pharsalia PDF Virginia Department of Historic Resources and Accompanying four photos Slave House 29 October 2019 Massie family papers 1766 1920s Archives amp Manuscripts at Duke University Libraries Pharsalia Plantation 29 October 2019 Massie family papers 1766 1920s Archives amp Manuscripts at Duke University Libraries Pharsalia Plantation 29 October 2019 Pharsalia Plantation 29 October 2019 An antebellum plantation in Nelson County returns to family hands 15 October 2020 Massie family papers 1766 1920s Archives amp Manuscripts at Duke University Libraries External links editPharsalia website This article about a property in Nelson County Virginia on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pharsalia Tyro Virginia amp oldid 1189545450, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
