W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1996 Fort Hill: A Representative of the Structural and Social Hierarchy and Harmony of Greek Revival Architecture Beth Ann Spiryson McPherson College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, Architecture Commons, and the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons Recommended Citation McPherson, Beth Ann Spiryson, "Fort Hill: A Representative of the Structural and Social Hierarchy and Harmony of Greek Revival Architecture" (1996). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539626022. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-2vm5-9q28 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FORT HILL: A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STRUCTURAL AND SOCIAL HTEARARCHY AND HARMONY OF GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the American Studies Program The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Beth Ann McPherson 1996 ProQuest Number: 10629512 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10629512 Published by ProQuest LLC (2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 - 1346 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of M aster of Arts Approved, July 1996 James Korn wolf Department of Art History Carl Lounsbury / Architectural Research, Colonial Williamsburg irgaretta Lovell Advisor, University of California, Berkeley TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv LIST OF FIGURES v ABSTRACT x INTRODUCTION 2 CAHPTER I: THE EVOLUTION OF FORT HILL 7 CHAPTER II: FORT HILL: THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY 19 STRUCTURE CHAPTER III: STYLE: FORT HILL AND NINETEENTH- 50 CENTURY GREEK REVIVAL ARCHITECTURE CHAPTER IV: THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH- 61 CENTURY FAMILIES OF FORT HILL CHAPTER V: FORT HILL: THE PLACE OF AN AGRICULTURAL 88 CENTER IN THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTEITH- CENTURY HISTORIC AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF WEST VIRGINIA CHAPTER VI: THE IMPACT OF THE GREEK REVIVAL ON FORT 118 HILL'S ARCHITECTURE AND FAMILY SRUCTURES CHAPTER VII: CONCLUSIONS 152 FIGURES 155 APPENDIX I: Fort Hill Floorplans 200 APPENDIX II: West Virginia State Nominations 204 APPENDIX III: National Register Nomination 207 BIBLIOGRAPHY 254 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research would not have been possible without the support and complete cooperation offered by the Bonars, Paiges, and Hannahs of Fort Hill, Burlington, West Virginia. Their generosity and openness with family collections, personal time for interviews, and their granddaughter, Maggie Page, for inspiration and a hand to hold the measuring tape, made the background research at Fort Hill possible. May the family and their descendants enjoy their home and farm for many years to come. The comments and guidance provided by Margaretta Lovell were invaluable in helping to create my "toolbox'’ and bring my thoughts together. Many thanks also to my colleagues, friends, and family for supporting this author through the research, thinking, writing, and editing years. Finally, a very special thanks to my husband, Tom, who completed this voyage by my side. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Survey of Patterson Creek. Hardy County 155 Deed Book I, p. 136, Hardy County Courthouse, Moorefield, WVA 2. Survey of John Bane land. Deedbook 30, 156 p.378. Mineral County Courthouse, Keyser, WVA. 3. Division of Sloan lands. Deedbook 361, 157 p.375. Romney Courthouse 4. Aerial photo of Fort Hill Farm, 1980's. 158 Hannah/Bonar photo collection 5. North facade Fort Hill Farm. Hannah/ 159 Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 6. North facade Fort Hill Farm, close up. 160 Hannah/Bonar photo collection. Burlington, WVA. 7. North porch Fort Hill Farm, Hannah/Bonar 161 photo collection. Burlington, WVA. 8. North and northwest facades, Fort Hill Farm 162 Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 9. Fort Hill Farm, Hannah/Bonar photo 163 collection, Burlington, WVA V 10. North facade Fort Hill Farm, Hannah/ 164 Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 11. North facade Fort Hill Farm, Hannah/ 165 Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA ,12. North facade, Fort Hill Farm, 1991 166 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 13. Northeast facade, Fort Hill Farm, 1991, 167 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 14. Northwest facade, Fort Hill Farm, 1991 168 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 15. Northwest facade Fort Hill Farm, 1991, 169 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 16. Northwest facade Fort Hill Farm, 1991, 170 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 17. South facade, Fort Hill Farm, 1991, 171 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 18. Cistern, Fort Hill Farm, Hannah/Bonar 172 photo collection, Burlington, WVA 19. North facade, Fort Hill Farm, 1991, 173 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 20. Main staricase, Fort Hill Farm, 1991, 174 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 21. Northwest parlor, Fort Hill Farm, 175 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT vi 22. French doors, Fort Hill Farm, McPherson 176 photo collection, Meriden, CT 23. Fort Hill Farm, Hannah/Bonar paper 177 collection, Burlington, WVA 24. Cold storage, dairy, icehouse Fort Hill 178 Farm, Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 25. Smokehouse/meathouse, Fort Hill Farm, 179 Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 26. Main bam plans, Fort Hill Farm, 180 Hannah/Bonar paper collection, Burlington, WVA 27. Main bam plans, Fort Hill Farm, 181 Hannah/Bonar paper collection, Burlington, WVA 28. Main bam plans, Fort Hill Farm, 182 Hannah/Bonar paper collection, Burlington, WVA 29. Main bam, Fort Hill Farm, McPherson 183 photo collection, Meriden, CT 30. Main bam, Fort Hill Farm, McPherson 184 photo collection, Meriden, CT 31. Outbuildings, F ort Hill F arm, 185 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT vii 32. Sloan-Parker House, Junction, WVA 186 Stan Cohen's "Historic Sites of West Virginia, A Pictorial Guide." Charleston, WVA, 1979. 33. Fort Hill Family Tree, 187 McPherson paper collection, < Meriden, CT 34. Sloan Cemetary, Fort Hill Farm, 188 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 35. Sloan, Cemetary, Fort Hill Farm, 189 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 36. Sloan Cemetary, Fort Hill Farm, 190 McPherson photo collection, Meriden, CT 37. Sloan Cemetary, Fort Hill Farm, 191 McPherson paper collection, Meriden, CT 3 8. Angus Association at Fort Hill Farm, 192 Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 39. Family of Fort Hill Farm, 193 Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 40. Sheep, Fort Hill Farm, 194 Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA viii 41. Angus Cattle Show, Fort Hill Farm 195 Hannah/Bonar photo collection, Burlington, WVA 42. Fairview, McPherson photo collection 196 Burlington, WVA 43. Huffman House, McPherson photo 197 collection, Burlington, WVA 44. Wilson House, McPherson photo 198 collection, Burlington, WVA 45. Fort Pleasant, Moorefield, WVA 199 "Historic Sites of West Virginia: A Pictorial Guide" ix ABSTRACT When reading the landscape of Burlington, West Virginia, Fort Hill Farm stands out as an archetypal example of regional Southern Greek Revival architecture and the social symbol system and traditions it represented. During the nineteenth century, a unique "American" voice was sought in the arts. Architecture, a constant visual reinforcement of physical patterns, began to be seen as a readily accessible vehicle by which to improve the moral landscape of the nation. Designers of the mid-nineteenth century, such as Gervase Wheeler, A. J. Downing, and L. F. Allen began to incorporate elements from the Gothic period into their designs, attempting to capitalize on the religious ideology and morality of the new "American" consumer. These ideas were publicly popularized in the form of design books available in urban and rural areas. The Sloans of Fort Hill and many of their social contemporaries had a set of priorities that could not be met by the new fashionable Gothic designs with their allusions to ecclesiastical architecture and moralistic behavior. Instead, they elected to retain the classical language of the Greek-Revival. Fort Hill, built in 1853, is an example of a rural, southern interpretation of the democratic order of architecture. It symbolizes the continuing need of agrarians to mark the landscape, reenforcing their position as masters of the natural world. Choosing an architectural style that linked the builders of Fort Hill to the past helped to make the future tangible in the face of uncontrolable natural elements. The Greek Revival represented a calm, ordered, known past to the Fort Hill Sloans a time of social change. It neatly expressed in its balanced architectural orders the