Whether you are a visitor to the place
or a local, the one thing that you really would love knowing about is
the history of the wonderful The Winery At Bull Run. The original
Estate that was located on the Winery at Bull Run's property was
named as Hillwood.
A research that was carried out by the
Prince William County historical society on the previous owners of
the property revealed that the farm was owned by the Entwisles way
back in 1946. The farm on which the winery now stands was once part
of a huge tract of land owned by the Lee, Thornton and Lewis
families. As the years passed the land became a property of the
Entwisle family and is known today as the Entwisle tract. Some parts
of the original farm are now the portions of the Manassas National
Battlefield park, the quarry and this one remaining plot that has the
winery built on it.
What remains of the original Hillwood
Mansion that was standing during the First Battle of Manassas or Bull
Run is the stone foundation that is now the Stone Mansion Ruins
Patio. It is recommended that when you visit the The winery at Bull
Run be sure to look for markers on the property as it appeared on the
Civil War era maps.
The land on which the Hillwood was
built was at one time part of the Middle Bull Run Tract that was one
of the six vast land holdings of Robert “King” Carter. The land
passed from generation to generation within the Carter family. Mary
Adelaide Carter who was a direct descendent of King Carter inherited
Hillwood. Prior to the acquisition of the property by Thomas A. Lee,
the land was known as the Thornton-Lewis Tract. Errors and
contradictions are contained in many sources including park documents
and bibliographic references. It would not be a exaggeration to say
that the coincidences sometimes confuse fact and fiction.
In the northern area of nearby Lower
Bull Tract, in 1811, George Carter who was a great-grandson of King
Carter sold 762 acres to brother-in-law Spencer Ball, who had married
Elizabeth Carter who was the grandmother of Mary Adelaide Carter.
Ball's grandson Francis W. Lewis eventually inherited this land.
Mathew Lee who was the great grandfather of Thomas A. Lee bought 172
acres of land in the same year. We can put it this way that the
exact age of the Hillwood is unknown.
The Winery At Bull Run is the place
that has a rich heritage behind it. A visit to the place is not only
just about wine tasting or drinking some high quality and award
winning wines but it is also about knowing the history of the place
and the country. Some of the most famous and watershed events
happened at this place. A visit to the place would definitely make
you a well informed and a more enlightened being than you were
before.
No comments:
Post a Comment