The Surratt Courier

[L Verge]

I have not been in the house for over ten years, but when it was in good shape following the "restoration" in the 1970s, doors, wood mouldings and frames, mantels, and banisters appeared to date from the early- to mid-1800s. I have no idea what time and vandals have done since then, but there is a caretaker (more like a watchman) that lives in an adjacent house, so the vandalism may not be as severe as what others have encountered.

The current owner acquired very little of the original acreage, I believe. I did take a peek at tax records, and if I read them correctly, the current acreage is about 33. I wish Surratt House had that much. Our original acreage in 1852 was 287 1/2 acres. When we acquired the property in 1968, only one acre was still available. We have since managed to acquire two adjacent parcels that were once the Surratts' orchard, and we own just about three acres now. People who live in the nearby development are afraid we're going to want our tobacco fields back!