Name/Title
Spring Grove CollectionEntry/Object ID
ARC423Scope and Content
Collection consists of one letter and two documents of reminiscences about Spring Grove, likely written by Elizabeth Sinclair Blackburn Kownslar, and two envelopes addressed to her.
ARC423-1. A 5-page, incomplete, unsigned letter written on Governor's Office Stationery, July 25, 1879, to "My Dear Sister." Because of references to Aunt B, Sister S. J., brother R., and brother J., the letter is likely written by Elizabeth Sinclair Blackburn Kownslar. The letter contains reminiscences about her life at Spring Grove, the Sinclair/Blackburn farm in Jefferson County.
ARC423-2. An unsigned, 14-page document dated August 1879 and titled "Family Prayers at Spring Grove (more than 50 years ago)" Because the handwriting is similar to that in the letter, the document may have been written by Elizabeth Sinclair Blackburn Kownslar. Descriptions of people attending the service, including white family members and black enslaved people (referred to as servants).
ARC423-3. An unsigned, 14-page document dated illegible month 25th, 1880, and titled "Spring Grove, More Than Fifty Years Ago" Because the handwriting is similar to that in the letter, the document may have been written by Elizabeth Sinclair Blackburn Kownslar. Includes descriptions of the exterior and interior of the house (no longer extant) and of the gardens and farm.
ARC423-4. Two envelopes of stationery of the Office of the Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond, addressed to Mrs. E. S. Kownslar, Berryville, Va. The month and day on the post office stamp are Dec 15 and Mar 15.
In addition to the three documents and two envelopes, the ARC423 folder contains information on the Sinclair/Blackburn family trees and an excerpt on Olive Boy house and farm from an architectural evaluation related to proposed changes in US 340 by Maral Kalbian et al., including a discussion of the fact that Olive Boy is part of the Sinclair/Blackburn tract that was known as Spring Grove.
Elizabeth Sinclair Blackburn Kownslar (1813-1910) grew up at Spring Grove, a Jefferson County farm purchased by her grandfather John Sinclair early in the 19th century and conveyed to her mother Elizabeth Sinclair Blackburn (1776-1840). Later in life she lived in Berryville, VA.Acquisition
Accession
79Source or Donor
Read, Eleanor PerryAcquisition Method
GiftArchive Details
Date(s) of Creation
1879 - 1880Archive Size/Extent
One 5-page letter, two 14-page documents, and two envelopes