Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia) Explained
| Thomas Harrison House |
| Designated Other1: | Virginia Landmarks Register |
| Designated Other1 Date: | June 19, 1973[1] |
| Designated Other1 Number: | 115-0008 |
| Designated Other1 Num Position: | bottom |
| Location: | 30 W. Bruce St., Harrisonburg, Virginia |
| Coordinates: | 38.4475°N -78.8697°W |
| Built: | 1750 |
| Added: | July 26, 1973 |
| Refnum: | 73002213 |
Thomas Harrison House is a historic home located at Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was built between 1790 and 1800[2] [3] and is a 1½-story, two bay by one bay, coursed limestone vernacular dwelling. It has a gable roof and was built over a spring, which is accessible in the basement. It is the oldest house in Harrisonburg and its namesake is regarded as the town's founder.[4]
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Until 2018, it was believed that the building was built around 1750 by Thomas Harrison, however recent studies determined it was built after 1790.[5] In 2018, the City of Harrisonburg partnered with the Margaret Grattan Weaver Institute of Regional Culture at Bridgewater College to restore the building. Led by James Madison University professor Carole Nash, the research term determined the structure was actually built no earlier than 1790, after Thomas Harrison died; subsequently, the team concluded that Harrison neither built nor ever lived in the structure that shares his name.[6] [7] [8] [9]
Notes and References
- Web site: Virginia Landmarks Register. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 19 March 2013.
- Web site: Casey . Monica . Archaeological excavations show Thomas Harrison House not built by its namesake . WHSV3 . 8 June 2023.
- Web site: Manley . Bridget . The future is as murky as the past for the house that wasn’t Thomas Harrison’s . The Harrisonburg Citizen . 8 June 2023.
- Web site: National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Thomas Harrison House . Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff . June 1973 . Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying photo
- Web site: The Harrison House (formerly the Thomas Harrison House) . Virginia Department of Historic Resources . 8 June 2023.
- Web site: Casey . Monica . Archaeological excavations show Thomas Harrison House not built by its namesake . WHSV3 . 8 June 2023.
- Web site: Manley . Bridget . The future is as murky as the past for the house that wasn’t Thomas Harrison’s . The Harrisonburg Citizen . 8 June 2023.
- Web site: Lynch . Jillian . OLD HOUSE, NEW HISTORY Rocktown History Picks Up Conversation Of Thomas Harrison House's Past and Future . Daily News Record . 8 June 2023.
- Web site: Murphy . Connor . Research reveals Thomas Harrison House not built by namesake . The Breeze: Newspaper of James Madison University . 8 June 2023.
