* Form :0.30 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

couhl rv. NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM

ENTRY NUMBER (Tvpe #dl entries - cornpleie applicable sections) f - -. COMMON. I MCCORaCX (CYRUS) FAFN AN3 WOAWYOF

*~D'ORYIS+O!+C: WjlZiW GROVE

--- 5TATc CODE COUNTY. CODE Vfrginia 24476 51 Bockbridge ,-. - . - . , b33 DGXGilFICA~?~~ -, - 4 CATEGORY r/l I (Check One) bisblct 0 ~vlir,n~IF PU~~IC Public Acquisllion: Sits 0 SITUC~U~I !El Priy.te ' a )n Procssa Q Unoccup~ad C, Unrasnic?ad Obr*cr I ~n progress

- - - I Agrlcvlturnl ;.. Cwernme~t 6 Pork W branspariotion 0 camm*nt=

Q Cmmtc~oT 3 Indus~riol ' @ P*ivato i?aaidsncs -3o~h~r, iSp~ct@] Q Edvclrtlanol . Milltory 6 Rnliglmvr a Evtertalnmrnt 0 !i4uasum 0 Sci8n?lflc I TP . .. t4. OWNER OF PPOPERTY 1. '. j z . < - JQWMEI('SNAME? I I Virginia Po3ytechn-i~Institute ' . 1s: STREET AND NUMBER. ~1$P. ClTY OR TOWN; ST& TF: CODC P 3'hcksburg 1 24060 51 I

a 0 nockbridge County ~our'thouse, n5 STRICT AND NUMBER! 5 4 I-$?

CITY OR TOWN. I STATE / Virginia 244j0 -- .--- r I F-QNTATIoN IN EXISTING SURVEYS, ;. - ---! - 1 -. -_- ,,. , .- 4~17~~OC SURVEY! 1

nATE OF SURVEY: l947 Q Fsd~rol m.S~ote 0 County a Laml nEposrrnnu con awrrvrv PECQRDSP t

I ', +- CITV on TOWW- STATE. Washington D.C. 7, Ol;!>CRJPTION ·-- . . ·. . .

Exoellent ~ Good igJ Foi, 0/c;:,::,~,~:~d O Ruins rt Unexpo,ed CONDITION--··-·· E- .-;:;:~"'---_....:=-·-r--"'..::_-=..c.:.::~:--,--'=u:.'.....::::_:::".:::_:.:__ _j (Check One) I (Check One) 1------0 Altered /Xl Uno_l•_•_••_d ____.. ______ccn Moved O Original Site DESCRIBE THE F>RESENT AND ORIGINAL- (H known) PHvs1CA.L APPEARANCE

a, BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Cyrus H, McCormick successfully produced a shortly after he took over the project on which his father, Robert McCormick, had worked spasmodically for twenty years, An inventive talent inherited from his father, direct experience with the problems of harvesting grain, and the long testing of various mechanical principles by his father gave Cyrus a sound foundation for taking over the reaper project,

Avoiding his father's mistakes, Cyrus, in the early summer of 1831, constructed a small experimental machine designed on principles entirely different from his father's machines,

A public trial held in the field of John Steele in late July successfully proved his theory of cutting, Seven basic principles incorporated in this reaper, the divider, reel, straight reciprocating knife, fingers or guards, platform, main wheel and gearing, and the m front-side draft traction, together with their distinctive combination, m remain essential to reaping machinery today. Forerunners of McCormick had used one or more of these seven principles prior to ld3l, but he was the first to unite them all into an effective whole, z V, Cyrus recognized that this first machine was far from perfect in -, cutting the grain, So skeptical was he of its value that he waited ;o until ld.34 to patent it, and he did not feel Justified in seeking a C: wide market for it Wltil 184o, Close thought and experimentation n continued for fifteen years. Each one of the principal parts was -, considerably refashioned prior to 11:J46, but no basic change in construction proved to be necessary, 0 A counter-claim advanced in the recent past on behalf of Cyrus' z father by some members of the McCormick family deserves consideration. If Robert McCormick were the inventor of the reaper, Cyrus would still merit recognition as its successful manufacturer, However, his chief title to fame would be transferred to his father, A recent and thorough biographer, William T, Hutchinson, has critically examined the facts and the motivation for the controversy. His conclusion is that the wealth of material on agricultural history, carefully assembled over a period of twenty-five years, makes certain beyond a doubt that Cyrus McCormick invented the reaper which bears his name.

Hutchinson's work presents with conviction the thesis that the reaper was probably the most important of all the inventions made during the first half of the 19th century which revolutionized , Grain was a staple crop throughout the temperate zones of the world, and the appearance of n tn.'lchine whl.ch :pcrmi ttnd. the farmer to reap no nruch gr,1in no he coulcl now hronf:ld, ch1111r•.n11 I 11 cereal-culture na far rcuchine; in their importnnce uo Llloon 1'1Dwl.nrr, from the cotton gin, Ao Whitney's invention oir;nificnntly nffected one of the basic necessities of human life, so the first successful reaper was of great iri:fluence upon the food supply of the world, '------····---·. ---- -.. ~., .... ·-- ··-·~------~----J 1 ,,, " _,v()o l}(~I I t-.U ; 1 ,1\ < • (July 1969) .• ' '. !( . ' NATIONAL PARK S.ERV\U:.'. _V.trginia NATIONAL RE'GISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY INVENTORY· NOMINATION FORM Rockbridge FOR NPS USE ONLY (Continuation Sheet) ENTRYNUMBER 1 DATE I

7 a. CONT'D.

Cyrus McCormick not only pioneered in the invention and evolution of reaping machinery, but also in the creation of modern business methods. He became a large-scale producer bringing the reaper to a national market; he was one of the most successful manufacturers in America's first era of "big business." More than most men, he possessed the ability to translate his creative ideas into reality.

The blacksmith shop at Walnut Grove handled the manufacture of the as long as the market for them was local. Robert and Leander McCormick, with the help of their slaves and an occasional hired man, formed the factory personnel. The steel sickles required fine workman­ ship and were made by a skilled workman in the vicinity.

Beginning in 1843, the franchise to build the reaper was sold to men in various sections of the state. The following year Cyrus made a swing through the north and west and arranged manufacturing franchises in Brockport, New York, Cincinnati and other western points. These licensed manufacturers, however, proved less careful than the workers at Walnut Grove and turned out poorly made machines. McCormick determined to save the good reputation of his reaper by concentrating their manufacture in one place and under his own direction, Thus, in 1847 he established his own plant in and closed other manu• facture in one place and under his own direction, Thus, in 1847 he established his own plant in Chicago and closed other manufacturing contracts as promptly as possible, By 1850 the McCormick reaper had won a national reputation and market. World-wide recognition followed. The French, for example, made him a chevalier of the Legion of Honor and in 1879 elected him a member of the French Academy of Sciences as haVing done more for agriculture than any other living man. Status: The workshop where Cyrus McCormick built the first successfUl reaper and the family home are both very well preserved. The workshop is a small square log building on a high stone foundation. It is to the side of a well-kept picnic and parking area and is kept open as the McCormick Memorial. The large, two-story brick farm home is equally as well maintained and provides office s:pace for the work of the Shenandoah Valley Research Station. ------·------.. ·-----,.--···- -·------j ,i: ; JVOa urn1t:iJ;j11, (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Virginia

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES COUNTY Rockbridge INVENTORY· NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY (Continuation Sheet) ENTRY NUMBER ! DATE I (Number all entrl ..)

7 b, BOUNDARIES: This property consists of approximately 3 acres which have been set aside by the current owners to memorialize McCormick. Within this tract are 3 buildings used by McCormick. There is also a brick house which serves as an office and home for farm Superintendent McClure, Mr, McClure advises that the brick house is not normally considered a part of the McCormick memorial, even though it was built when McCormick was about 10 years of age and McCormick lived there for many years,

The :property referenced above is located on the north side of Route 606, about l mile west of Route 11 and about 1 mile east of Route 81. PERIOD (Check One or Mor" ft8 App;oprl81e)

0 Pt .. •Columbion 1, 0 16th Century 0 18th Century 0 20th Centu,y 0 151h CMti.rry [] 17th c .. ntury .(Xj l9thC.,ntury

SPECIFIC DATE(Sl (If Appl/ca/JI" nndKnown)

A1'1£AS OF Sl«;NIF'ICANCI! (Ch•ck One o, More 11a Appropriate) Aboriginal 0 Educolion 0 Political D Urban Planning D P rehi starlc 0 Engin.,.,ring D Religion/Phi, D Other (Specify) 0 Hiuoric 0 Industry los c,phy Agricullure ~ 0 lnvantion [] Scil!IMCl!I 0 Ard,itcoctur• 0 Lanchcope D Seu lpture D Art Archi lochir• D Socia 1/Hvman- 0 Camrne

STATEM£NT OF St(ilNIFICANC£ - . r, ' '' Of all the inventions that revolutionized agriculture during the

first half' of the 19th century, Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper

z (1834) was probably the most important. It made it possible for one 0 man to harvest as much grain in a day as had required the labor of 1- u several men with the more primitive scythes and cradles. Both :::, McCormick's workshop, a small log building on a high stone Cl! I- foundation, and his large brick farmhouse have been well preserved. z w w

• ----L--'T•-•••~-.------~------•• ------~--- fi, i;~i;;~~~¥i~1~~~Vei~:~~~r~=~~~~

Degrees Minutes Seconds Oeijr•e• Minutes Secorids Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds 0 .. 0 • .. NW . 37 ° 55 · 57 · 79 ° 12 53 .. NE 0 . . C SE 0 .. " sw 0 . . 0 APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY, 'J.:nree ---~---·~------·------~--- ILIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OV!cALAPPING STATE OR COUNTY i,OUNOARIES

STATE: CODE COUNTY COOE m m 1-S_T_A_T_E_,______..:_-t--C-O:-:D:-:E=-1f-C-::O:-:-:U~N-:T-:-Y:--, ---'----'------t---.=c-;:;-;.o o?

STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE z V\

STAT!c• CODE COUNTY: CODE -i ;;o C: Frank S. Melvin r, ORGANIZATION -I Virginia State Office, National Park Service STREET AND NUMBER: a Box 10008 :z CITY OR TOWN: STAT!c CODE Richmond Virginia 23240 51 \12, _STATE UA150N_O_f_F_j_C_l:-R-CERTIFICAI ION·•·-- .. - _.- NATIONAL REGISTER VERIFICATION

As the designated State Liaison Officer for the NH· I hereby certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of !9fiG (Public Law Notional Register. 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Regieter and certify that it has been evaluated according to the crit<•ria and procedu reR eet forth by the National Park Service. The recommended Chief, Office ot Archoolo~y nncl ll/R/orlc Pro1wrvotlon level of nignirica nee of this nomina lion Is: National O State O Local []

Dnlo ------ATTEST:

Title ------

1.__n_a_t_e_-_-_-_-:.---~~~~~~~=-~-~----~D~---~·------=--,~,~~~-:._-.=,=--,.-u-~=~~~:_IL_u_e_t_e:====~K-:.-e:e_p-:.e-:.r-:.-o:f:T:h:e:-N-:.-a:t_i-~:-,;:---1a-l=R=--e-~:1-~-'.-e--r.-.--.-._-_,J

1, I' Q V Q I -,• f I , ,...... ,.,., __ V ' •, 07 -25 tJ <'~'!·'' 'I . ) Spottswood School ! 07-612 Spot-tswood Mercantile 07-592 Col. Moore House 07-590 ( Mcchesney-Wilson House 07-589 liJ89 ./ ) / ... I , I B.S. Rowan House / Site 07-613 J.A. McClure House 07-59•1

Bank of Raphine 81-350

Stoner Place 81-219

~PH1NE

Cyrus McCon:1ick 91-73 F nd Worksho Lee Way Inn 07-628

HOUSE 81 -130 f,i - 4 ~~ o ---,r~""'""-+-'-:++---->~~~..,,.""""~-~~...._""\ B t • y '11 --i.s,+;;.;;.~;;;..;.4,;;..,___ _:.,...... ,,..rl"'~--._,...,___,

;EARS ON M~l~L L:__--4-_:_~~Q.~* ~~~tt~;::::-+-H ~....L' ~ 37~7;:~ ~UI N 81-15 3 7 1 Mt. Carmel Manse 07-635 )CEOLA -\, &I. 4'\'L -:.IQ~~----,,.,;....-~_:,_~~.::;.:p,-­ Ml LL

l"T' • • •• t .... , ......