The Fun Barn at the farm has a long and lively history.  When the Fulks family moved to Belvedere Plantation in 1972, one of the annual summer jobs that Farmer Donnie participated in was baling hay … enough to fill up the barn!  And ‘hay’ — that’s a lot!  It took thousands of bales, which was hot and dusty work for young boys!  Beef cattle were raised at the farm, and hay was their primary feed during the winter months.  Eventually, cattle were sold and crops were grown in the hay fields.

The old hay barn became the Fun Barn, complete with smiley face, at the time of the farm’s first Great Pumpkin Patch!  And it’s been fun ever since!  The old rope swing allow visitors a taste of yesteryear — grab on and swing out into the straw, and you’ll be grinning just like our Fun Barn does!

Historic Tidbits

Enjoy these notes about Belvedere Plantation and the Fun Barn
from former families who have lived here
or from former farm managers.

From Charles S. Berger / Pacific Palisades, California

Charles and a twin brother were born in the plantation home in 1918.  His father, Samuel, was son of Alexander Berger.

Alexander Berger, President of the La Cienga Land and Cattle Company of Arizona, purchased Belvidera in 1909.  The company had purchased it in June 1908 from the Taylor family who had owned the plantation since 1842.  There were 1,675 acres — including land in Caroline County, part of Fox Springs Farm.

The farm later passed to Helen Berger Bryan.  After her death in 1966, McKendree G. Fulks purchased Belvedere Plantation from her estate in March 1968.

From Charles Hooper, Jr. in 1981 / Manager of Rappahannock Electric Co-Op

Charles Hooper, Sr. was farm manager for Mr. Alexander Berger and lived in the big house from 1908-1919.  He was given $10,000 a year to build and improve the farm.  The barn (now the Fun Barn) and silo were built between 1912-1915.  According to Mr. Hooper, the crack in the silo was caused by a flywheel that came off a stationary engine running a silo filter.  Mr. Hooper, Sr. lost a hand in an accident filling the silo.

An artisan well about 198-feet deep was dug from the bank below the big barn about 1914 and was still in use when the Fulks family purchased the farm.  It flowed into a large concrete pit and pumped to the barn and houses by the river.  After the flood of 1972, it kept silting in and a new well had to be drilled to service the buildings.

Mr. Hooper constructed the corn house, the hay barn, and tenant houses.

Following are miscellaneous historical tidbits of the local area as excerpted from the John Harrower Journal and transcribed by Sue Gordon for a WPA report in 1937.

Martha and George Washington

Col Dangerfield and his wife entertained very lavishly.  Mr. Harrower mentions a dinner party given to General and Mrs. Washington, John Parke Custis and his wife, Eleanor Calvert, Mrs. Alexander Spotswood, and Mrs. Dansie, Misses Washington and Dandridge.

He speaks of them being of the “highest rank and fortune of any in the Colony”.

This is an excerpt from The Journal of John Harrower, an indentured servant in the Colony of Virginia, 1773-1776, by John Harrower, Edward M. Riley.  Published by distributed by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1963.  Accessed online via GoogleBooks.

Munday, 2jd. This morning a great number of Gentlemen and Ladies driving into Town it being an annuall Fair day and tomorrow the day of the Horse races, at 11 AM Mf Anderson begged to settle as a schoolmaster with a friend of his one Colonel Daingerfield(1) and told me he was to be in Town tomorrow, or perhaps tonight, and how soon he came1 he shou’d aquant me. at same time all the rest of the servants were ordred ashore to a tent at Fredericksb? and severall of their Indentures were then sold, about 4 pm I was brought to Colonel Dainger- field, when we imediatly agreed and my Indenture for four years was then delivered him and he was to send for me the next day. at same time ordred to get all my dirty Cloaths of every kind washed at his expense in Toun; at night he sent me five shillings onb by Cap! Bowers to keep my pocket.

(1) Col. William Daingerfield of Belvidera was the son of Edwin Daingerfield and Mary Bassett, daughter of Col. William Bassett of Eltham. The Bassetts were near of kin to Martha Washington. Col. Daingerfield’s grandfather was William Daingerfield, who married Elizabeth Bathurst, daughter of Lancelot Bathurst of Virginia, fifth son of Sir Edward Bathurst of Sussex, England.

Tuesday, 241)1. This morning I left the Ship at 6 AM having been sixteen weeks and six days on board her. I hade for Breackfast after I came ashore one Chappin2 sweet milk for which I paid 3^- Curr. at 11 AM went to see a horse race about a mille from Toun, where there was a number of Genteel Company as well as others, here I met with the Colonel again and after some talk with him he gave me cash to pay for washing all my Cloaths and something over. The reace was gain’d by a Bay Mare, a white boy ridder. There was a gray Mare started with the Bay a black boy ridder but was far distant the last heat.’

Thursday, 26th. This day at noon the Colonel [Daingerfield]  sent a Black with a cuple of Horses for me and soon after I set out on Horseback and aravied at his seat of Belvidera about 3 pm and after I hade dined the Colonel took me to a neat little house at the upper end of an Avenue of planting at 500 yd? from the Main house, where I was to keep the school, and Lodge myself in it.

This place is verry pleasantly situated on the Banks of the River Rappahannock about seven miles below the Toun of Fredericksburgh and the school’s right above the Warff so that I can stand in the door and pitch a stone onboard of any ship or Boat going up or coming doun the river.

Freiday, 2?th. This morning about 8 AM the Colonel delivered his three sons to my Charge to teach them to read write and figure, his oldest son Edwin 10 years of age, intred into two syllables in the spelling book, Bathourest [Bathurst] his second son six years of age in the Alpha- bete and William his third son 4 years of age does not know the letters.

Following are miscellaneous historical tidbits of the local area as excerpted from the John Harrower Journal and transcribed by Sue Gordon for a WPA report in 1937.

Arriving at Fredericksburg
Mr. Harrower came to Virginia on the Snow Planter.  He mentions anchoring at Urbanna, and passing Port Royal, the little hamlet having the distinction of coming within one vote of being the site of the Capitol of the United States at the time Philadelphia was selected.  He writes of the river banks, seven  miles above Port Royal, being covered with trees and blossoms and gentlemen’s seats and planters’ houses being seen plainly from the ship.

Nearest Church
The nearest church to Belvidere was in Fredericksburg and very often Mr. Harrower was unable to attend on account of not having a saddle for his horse.

Growing in the Garden
Green peas were planted in the garden in early March and ready for eating in early June.  A second crop was planted in the summer.  Cucumbers, watermelons and musk melons were planted in the middle of March.  Watermelons grew up to 20 pounds.  Wild cherries were ripe in late May or early June.  Strawberries were eaten on May 8, 1775.  Indian corn was planted in April and May.

Fodder for Feed
In September they began to pull fodder; a colonial practice was to pull the tender leaves from the [corn] plant while still green and wrap them in bundles to be used as feed for livestock during the winter.  It was also the practice to cut off the top of the stalk just above the highest ear and store the tops for fodder.  At Belvidera about 3 weeks were required to pull fodder from approximately 400 acres.

Letters Back Home
Mr. Harrower wrote his wife that he had every necessity.  He speaks of the Colonels fine strawberries, cherries, melons, honey, cider and  toddies, he mentions the melons being so near the school-house he could look out at them.

According to a WPA report written by Sue Gordon in 1937 [excerpted herein], Colonel Dangerfield “owned about forty negroes, exported annually 3,600 bushels of wheat … owned a lot of horses … and was noted for his hospitality and his kindness and consideration of those whom he employed, as shown by the diary of John Harrower, who was employed as a tutor in 1774.”

Belvedere Plantation Owners

Colonel William Dangerfield 1760 [cannot find]
Owned by Mr. Henry Taylor and Estate approximately 1860 – 1916
Mr. Alexander Berger from 1916 to present [1937]

Property Description

Belvidere stands on the Rappahannock River with very old trees surrounding it.
There is an avenue of trees from the highway to the old mansion.
Many barns and garages have replaced the cabins of slaves, the little school house, which was within a short distance of the river, and the old kitchen.

The house is ov Colonial architecture of brick construction with dormer windows and a small stone porch with big white pillars.  The lights on the sides of the front door are rather unusual in shape, being long and narrow, and several of them in a row, the panes of glass extend down half way of the door.

One unique piece of ornamentation on the exterior is the small fan shaped pieces of stucco over the windows and doors, making a very attractive finish.

The original house was two stories with dormer windows.  Mr. Alex Berger added a one story wing on each side of frame construction and a full story to the second story.  The dormer windows are not on the third floor, instead of on the second.

One very unique feature on this old plantation was an icehouse, evidently dug by Colonel Dangerfield.  It was about twenty-five feed deep, rocked up with an underdeain running in to Snow Creek.  It always kept ice from the day it was filled until the following year when it was refilled, in fact, it has been told that large pieces of ice were thrown out when it was refilled.  I have often heard my father say how very unusual it was that the ice should keep so well, and it was some time before the secret was discovered, which was the underdrain showing that the Colonel certainly knew how to preserve ice.  On the site of the old icehouse now stands a beacon light.

As you enter the house, there is a short hall with rooms on each side and a board stairway of walnut.  All of the rooms have recess windows, sills of stone, fluted wainscoting around the windows, carved mantels of dainty designs and hand carved base boards.

In the center of the two rooms on the right, as you enter, there are two attractive designs, representing flowers in stucco.  On the left there is a room now used as a dining room which was a chapel when the Taylors owned the property.  The windows are cut down very low, and evidently one of them in the old days was used as a door, as there are still panes of glass around it.

There was originally an archway between the two rooms on the right, which has been removed and it now has the appearance of being only one large room.