Chrisman Springs Home
About 1732 the Jacob Chrisman family began construction of the famous Chrisman Springs Home located in the Shenandoah Valley. The home was constructed of stones unearthed as the property was cleared for farming. Trees on the property were harvested for the lumber used in construction. The original four-inch thick wood plank floors remain today. After more than 270 years the Chrisman Springs Home is the oldest continuously inhabited home in the Shenandoah Valley.
It took the Chrisman family more than ten years to complete the home. The gable stone of the north wall is inscribed with the date “1742”. The amount of time available to build was limited. Land had to be cleared; crops planted, tended and harvested. Temporary log cabin living and cooking quarters were built. Barns and livestock pens were constructed. Of course, financing was “pay as you go.” Home mortgages didn’t exist in those days. Work on the home was most likely accomplished after the end of a long arduous day working the land. The original copper roof remains. Many of the original hand blown glass window panes are intact.
Measures have been taken to protect the home, yet preserve its original structure. An example is the rain gutter and drain pipes. The basement contains gun ports, used to ward off an Indian attack. The home was graciously offered and used as a hospital during the Revolutionary War. George Washington stayed in the home as a guest of Jacob, as stated in his book, "My Journey Over the Mountain". Two log cabins directly behind the house are reported to be the oldest original log cabins in Virginia. The cabin closest to the house was used for cooking with the cook's sleeping quarters upstairs. The other log cabin was used as slave quarters. It is estimated that these log cabins are more than 200 years old.
The Chrisman Springs Home is located on US Highway #11 South, about 6 miles south of the city of Winchester, Virginia but before you get to Stephens City. You will see the home on a hill between Highway 11 and the Interstate. A private road off Highway 11 provides access to the home. The home has been owned by the Stickley family for more than 200 years. Please call Betty (Stickley) or John Lumkin (540) 869-3578 if you wish to visit the home.