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HRAB 05-16-95 Meeting AgendaI COUNTY of FREDERICK Department of Planning and Development 703/665-5651 FAX 703/678-0682 MEMORANDUM TO: Historic Resources Advisory Board Members FROM: Eric R. Lawrence, Planner I SUBJECT: May Meeting and Agenda 1 DATE: May 9, 1995 There will be a meeting of the Historic Resources Advisory Board at 7:34 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 1995, in the Conference Room of the Old Frederick County Courthouse, 9 Court Square, Winchester, Virginia. The HRAB will discuss the following items: AGENDA 1. Review of the Redbud Run Elementary Site Plan. 2. Review Historic Plaque application for Kenilworth. 3. Other. Review materials are attached. Please contact me if you are unable to attend the meeting. Thank you. Enclosure 107 North Kent Street P.O. Box 601 Winchester, VA 22601 Winchester, VA 22604 ITEM 1: Review of the Redbud Run Elementary Site Plan As customary, most capital improvements to county facilities are reviewed by various county departments. Projects that are relevant to history are forwarded to the HRAB for their review and recommendation. This recommendation is then forwarded to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors to assist in the decision making. The Frederick County School Board has proposed building an elementary school, Redbud Run Elementary, on School Board owned property on Route 7. This property was involved in the Third Battle of Winchester. The location of this property is within the Third Battle of Winchester core area, as designated by the National Park Service's Study of Civil War Sites in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. As historical significance is present on this property, the HRAB is provided the opportunity to comment on the planned development, and in particular, the site plan for the elementary school. Mr. Tom Sullivan, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, will attend the HRAB meeting and present the School Board's proposed site plan for the elementary school. Issues that he may discuss involve the procedures that the School Board proposes to follow prior to disturbing the land. Research may be conducted to determine the potential historic value of the property, and possibly an archeological survey. In an effort to bring the HRAB members "up-to-date" with the Third Battle of Winchester site, I have enclosed a few items that summarize the area's history. and Third Winchester/ Opequon On September 19, 1864, Union soldiers under the command of General Philip H. Sheridan crossed the Opequon Creek along Berryville Pike with the hopes of destroying General Jubal Early's Confederate troops. General Early had sent General John Gordon and General Robert Rodes and their divisions to Martinsburg to launch attacks in Maryland, leaving the Confederate forces in Winchester at less than half strength. General Sheridan planned to have two cavalry divisions strike from the north and the VIII Corps from the south. The main attack was to come from the east, with the VI and XIX Corps, who had to navigate the narrow Berryville Canyon. The Union infantry, with their wagons bogged down in the narrow confines of Berryville Canyon, dashed Sheridan's hopes of quickly taking Winchester. This kept the XIX Corps in the canyon until afternoon. By this time, General Early had discovered the Union plans and had recalled both Gordon and Rodes. The currently pristine areas to the east of the Hackwood House were a scene of intense fighting in the Third Battle of Winchester. At about noon on the 19th, a Union division of four brigades led by Birge, Molineux, Sharpe, and -Skunk launched its attack from the First Woods on the N� Caleb Heights, Hunts - berry, and Regency properties across the Middle Field on the Huntsberry and Caleb Heights property, to- ward the Second Woods, where General Gordon's Confederate troops waited. Confederate artillery north of Redbud Run played havoc with the flanks of the Union attacking line. Birge's brigade reached the Sec- ond Woods on the Hackwood, Caleb Heights, and Regency property, and came upon General Gordon's main line and were staggered. Sharpe's brigade came up on Birge's left and the tide turned in favor of the Union. The Confederate line broke, falling back across the Hackwood property. Seven Confederate can- non positioned on Hackwood Lane fired at point blank range into the Union attackers, throwing them back. Gordon's troops launched a counterattack, driving Birge and Sharpe out of the Second Woods and back across the Middle Field. Molineux was ordered to advance and plug the gap caused by Birge and Sharp's retreating troops. Shunk's brigade was then ordered forward to bolster the wavering Union line. Shunk came within 60 yards of the Confederate- line in the Second Woods, each side delivered point blank v6IIeys into the others lines. Gordon's troops counterattacked again, and the Union forces retreated to the safety of the First Woods. The Union then sent another brigade forward and were quickly pinned down by Gordon's troops waiting along the tree line of the Second Woods. The Union forces fought until they ex- pended all of their ammunition and then retreated back to the First Woods. Another Union thrust was mounted by McMillan's brigade, personally directed by General William Emory. The brigade reached a shallow ravine about 200 yards from the Second Woods, where two regiments fought to hold their posi- tion. By mid afternoon, the main thrust of the Union attack was thwarted and its ranks decimated. During the lull that soon followed, General Rodes brought his Confederate division forward from its pro- tected position in the Second Woods and launched a devastating counterattack into a gap that had opened between the Union VI and XIX Corps. General Rodes was killed by shrapnel and fell along the wood line, leaving Gordon to carry out the attack. This gap in the Union line appeared when the Union troops launched an attack against General Ramseur's line, which was positioned along the Dinkle House south III behind Abrams Creek. This attack crushed the right flank of the VI Corps. As the Union troops began re- treating along the Berryville Pike, General Sheridan immediately deployed his reserves. Thoburn's division deployed west along the south bank of Redbud Run into the First Woods to relieve the XIX Corps. Du- val's division crossed the run and turned west, accompanied by the artillery of Captain Henry DuPont, and deployed near the Huntsberry House. DuPont set up 18 guns opposite Gordon's flank in the Second Woods and opened fire. Duval's division was ordered forward and they swept across Redbud Run at the Hackwood House, turning Gordon's flank in the process, while Thoburn's division charged out of the First Woods into the Middle Field. This two-pronged attack forced Gordon to abandon the Second Woods and withdraw to the rear. During the intense back and forth fighting in this part of the battle, losses on both sides were high. The -- Union losses were the heaviest. For example, Grover's division, which launched the attack against the Confederates in the Middle Field, had casualties totaling nearly 1,500, including the death of General Rus- sell. Every regimental commander in this division was either killed or wounded. The 114th New York suffered casualties of 60 percent. Union casualties for the third Battle of Winchester were 5,018 - 697 killed, 3,983 wounded, and 338 missing. The Confederates forces lost many men, including many who were veterans. The casualties included Gen- eral Robert Rodes. Confederate casualties for the third Battle of Winchester were 3,611, including 226 - killed, 1,567 wounded, and 1,818 missing and captured. The significance of the Third Battle of Winchester is that along with the defeat of Early's forces at Fisher's Hill on September 22, 1864, and again at Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, it finally broke the Confeder- ate control of Winchester and the Shenandoah Valley for the remaining months of the war. It also contrib- uted to influencing the reelection of Abraham Lincoln in 1864. Large portions of the Third Winchester core area have been developed. However, key areas such as the First Woods, Second Woods and Middle Field areas, where- the most intense fighting occurred, remain in y pristine condition. The areas are included in the Caleb Heights property, the Hackwood Farm, and por- tions of the Huntsberry and School Board properties. The Hackwood Farm was not only a battlefield dur- ing the Third Battle of Winchester, but it also served as a field hospital for both sides. The Caleb Heights property continued as a base of operations for Union cavalry divisions in the Fall and Winter of 1864. 23) 051"'04/1995 12: 9 '0383'1941 NIAR''ML E KA'LBIAN PAGE 02 Marl S. Kalbtacn Architectural Historian Route 1, Box 86 ■ Boyce, Virginia 22620 Phone 703-837-2081 ■ Pax 703-837-1941 FREDERICK COUNTY HISTORIC PROPERTY DESIGNATION RECOMMENDATION BY: MARAL S. KALBIAN, ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN FOR: FREDERICK COUNTY HISTORIC RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD PROPERTY NAME: Kenilworth; Littler -Stephenson House; Rocktown Plantation (VDHR # 34-113) DATE OR PERIOD: ca. 1740, ca. 1790, ca. 1820, ca. 1920s. ORIGINAL USE: Residential VICINITY: Stephenson SUMMARY DESCRIPTION: Kenilworth is a five -bay, two-story, random -rubble limestone dwelling constructed in at least three stages. The earliest part of the house dates to the mid -18th -century, with the late -18th and early -19th -century additions also of stone construction. Exterior architectural details include: two interior -end stone chimneys; a gable roof now clad in asphalt shingle; eight -aver -twelve -sash double -hung windows; a fine paneled front door and transom with wooden tracery, a rear, 2 -story stone wing; an early 20th -century garage wing; and a 2 -story, front, pedimented portico. A fine 2 -story stone springhouse./washhouse appears to date to the 18th century. Kenilworth features refined interior woodwork including mantelpieces, overnmantels, and paneling. The house was originally part of a 1735 land grant to John Littler, an early Quaker settler of the area, who is believed to have constructed the oldest part of the house. The house was probably enlarged by his grandson. In the early 1820s the house was sold to William Stephenson and named Kenilworth. The house remained in the Stephenson family until the 1920s when it was sold to Harry K. Thaw. Mr. Thaw is best known as the murderer of the famous early -20th -century architect, Stanford White, While Mr. Thaw lived at Kenilworth, he made several additions and alterations. Kenilworth thus has an interesting modern history as well as important associations with the earliest settlers of this part of Frederick County. RECOMMENDATION: Although somewhat altered during the early 20th century, Kenilworth is significant as a home of John Littler, one of the earliest Quaker settlers in the area, and William Stephenson, an important 19th -century local, figure. During the early 20th century, Kenilworth was also home to the notorious Harry K. Thaw, murderer of architect Stanford White. The property appears to meet the criteria for Frederick County Historic Property designation. SIGNATURE:�-- , DATE: 7� /F �sf "