Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia)

Thomas Harrison House
Thomas Harrison House, September 2013
Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia) is located in Virginia
Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia) is located in the United States
Thomas Harrison House (Harrisonburg, Virginia)
Location30 W. Bruce St., Harrisonburg, Virginia
Coordinates38°26′51″N 78°52′11″W / 38.44750°N 78.86972°W / 38.44750; -78.86972
Built1750
NRHP reference No.73002213[1]
VLR No.115-0008
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 26, 1973
Designated VLRJune 19, 1973[2]

Thomas Harrison House is a historic home located at Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was built between 1790 and 1800[3][4] 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.[5]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1] Until 2018, it was believed that the building was built around 1750 by Thomas Harrison, however recent studies determined it was built after 1790.[6] 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.[7][8][9][10]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. ^ Casey, Monica. "Archaeological excavations show Thomas Harrison House not built by its namesake". WHSV3. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  4. ^ Manley, Bridget. "The future is as murky as the past for the house that wasn't Thomas Harrison's". The Harrisonburg Citizen. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ^ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (June 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Thomas Harrison House" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying photo
  6. ^ "The Harrison House (formerly the Thomas Harrison House)". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  7. ^ Casey, Monica. "Archaeological excavations show Thomas Harrison House not built by its namesake". WHSV3. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  8. ^ Manley, Bridget. "The future is as murky as the past for the house that wasn't Thomas Harrison's". The Harrisonburg Citizen. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  9. ^ Lynch, Jillian. "OLD HOUSE, NEW HISTORY Rocktown History Picks Up Conversation Of Thomas Harrison House's Past and Future". Daily News Record. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  10. ^ Murphy, Connor. "Research reveals Thomas Harrison House not built by namesake". The Breeze: Newspaper of James Madison University. Retrieved 8 June 2023.


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