Daniel Harrison House
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Fort Harrison Museum (Daniel Harrison House)
c. 1749; 1856 addition. 526 N. Main St.
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(Photograph by Mark Mones) -
(Virginia Department of Historic Resources) -
(Photograph by Mark Mones) -
(Photograph by Mark Mones) -
Bank barn (Photograph by Mark Mones)
Around 1747, Daniel Harrison moved to this area and his gristmill, distillery, and tavern formed a commercial center that predated the town. His two-story three-bay limestone house with interior-end chimneys was one of the sturdy houses referred to as “forts” during the difficult years of the French and Indian War (1754–1763). Usually of stone, these well-built structures provided a refuge for neighboring families during attacks. Probably dating from around 1856, when the rear brick addition was constructed, the fenestration was changed to paired windows. Across the street is one of Rockingham County's many frame bank barns. Here latticework below the eaves provides ventilation for the barn, and a concrete silo, now without its domed cap, provided storage area for silage.
Writing Credits
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Data
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Location: Dayton, VirginiaRegional Overviews:Styles:
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Citation
Anne Carter Lee, "Fort Harrison Museum (Daniel Harrison House)", [Dayton, Virginia], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/VA-02-RH30.
Print Source
Buildings of Virginia: Valley, Piedmont, Southside, and Southwest, Anne Carter Lee and contributors. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, 97-97.
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