Red Barn View

Red Barn View

 The following article was prepared when the house was featured on the Christmas Candlelight Tour of Historic Homes in 2006.

 The house was built in 1976 by W.W. (Jack) Webb for Susan's parents, Major and Mrs. Thomas J. Medley. Mrs. Medley, (Nancy) was the daughter of Fitzhugh Thornton, one of the partners in Townfield Land Corporation, developers of what was then one of the town's first subdivisions.  the parcel is large, surveyed in a time when building lots with many acres and old trees and natural shrubbery were valued. The area was named Broadhurst in honor of the historic estate where the development is located.  

 The Medleys were the first to purchase property when the farm was divided. Jack Webb was known for his fine craftsmanship and attention to detail. The house is Colonial Revival with three dormers and the roof line under the eaves is accented with dentils. There are four very large fireplaces, crafted using raised hearths built with brick used on the exterior. The property includes five acres and was once part of the Broadhurst Farm, a pre-Civil War estate. The house is named for the old red dairy barn still standing directly across the street and a contributing structure to the town's historic district. 

The original manor house, Broadhurst itself is still standing on what would have been the front of the farm on what is now Virginia Avenue, owned by neighbors, Jim and Betty Day.

The original owner of Broadhurst was a colorful character, Major Dallas Coghill, a Civil War veteran whose likeness to General Robert E. Lee was played out in the late nineteenth century with his portrayal of Lee in Civil War pageants on Bowling Green’s Main Street and Courthouse lawn. Dal was also a Justice of the Peace and Sheriff of Caroline County after the war. 

At Red Barn View, there is an old pond on the back corner of the property. The road depression is still visible, which connected the manor house to the pond where the farm's dairy cows walked to drink water, The woods behind the home are intact with many very old trees.  The house contains numerous objects associated with the town and county’s history. Showcases in the basement house some of these, including an original deed from colonial times, drawn on parchment and linen, the legal papers from the law office of Civil War veteran Judge E. C. Moncure, an aide to General Lee, an original hand colored plat of the town in 1919, hundreds of photographs, letterheads from local businesses dating back more than 100 years, old campaign memorabilia from local elections, copies of several obscure diaries and Bowling Green Town Hall and USO memorabilia. Many of the artifacts were collected by Nancy Thornton’s family, whose ancestor Francis, founded Caroline County in 1727. Joe Medley, a decorated veteran of Vietnam and a man of many interests and talents had an extensive collection of WWII, memorabilia which has now been donated to a local museum. 

Jeff and Susan have been working on the house since they inherited the property ten years ago. Their first project was to finish the basement for entertaining.  The house is decorated in the English Country style reflecting Susan's love of gardening, dogs and horses. A large portrait of General J.E.B Stuart graces the entrance hall. 

  The Sili's feel lucky to have many pieces of sentimental value handed down in the family. The hunt board, side tables, drop leaf table, corner cabinets and four poster bed are made from walnut wood and were commissioned and handpicked by Susan’s grandfather, Fitzhugh Thornton for use in his home on the corner of Broaddus Avenue. The display in the basement of decoys, calls and hunting memorabilia are a tribute to his love of hunting and outdoor abilities. “Foxpoint” was his hunting retreat on the Potomac.

There are also family furniture pieces from the Houston farm near Upper Zion, now a part of A.P. Hill where Fitzhugh was raised. The midwife chair in the bedroom upstairs is from Ireland and belonged to Thomas (Joe) Medley’s grandmother, Catherine McCracken Redmiles.  There are over 100 vintage hats and a variety of items of clothing dating from the late 1800’s to mid 1900’s, many of which belonged to Caroline residents. 

Jeff Sili is a bee keeper and his honey with the Red Barn View label is a much sought after commodity. The front and side gardens are filled with a wide array of old fashioned flowers, and trees. Crepe Myrtle, Weeping Willow, Bridal Wreath Spirea, Lilacs, Hydrangeas, Hollyhocks, Zinnias, Sweet William, Snow on the Mountain, Lambs Ear, Hyacinths, Tulips, old Roses, Peonies, an abundance of ivy and Chrysanthemums in the Fall. The four legged family members are, Chocolate Labrador Retrievers Rivah and Jack Sili and their pups, “Winner and Star.”
 

Broadhurst Dairy Barn and Corn crib

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Chilton

107 Virginia Avenue

Earl and Emily Chilton own the lots from the old Broadhurst Dairy Farm with the outbuildings. The property fronts on Travis Street behind Virginia Avenue. On this property are located the dairy barn built about 1925, a corn crib and an unusual utility building or shed referred to as a garage. The barn is a large two story structure with a gambrel roof and is the only one of its type in Bowling Green. It is a contributing structure to the town’s historic district and a tribute to the many farms which once stood within the town limits. Light is provided by three small windows on either side of the first floor. The Chilton’s have beautifully restored and maintained the structure and added electricity, a stove and huge walk-in refrigerator. Every spring, the community gathers here for a fish and pancake breakfast and in the fall the barn is used by local hunters to hang deer and other game in the walk-in cooler The garage located next to the corn crib is one and half stories and is frame with board and batten siding. There is only one other building in Bowling Green with this type of siding and it is located at 213 Milford Street. The corn crib is built just a short distance from the barn and was designed as a lean-to specifically for the storage of corn. The walls slant outward to protect the harvest from the weather and help in unloading the corn.

The Thornton Family

The Thornton's are descended from one of the "Grand Old Men" of Caroline, Francis Thornton of Ormesby (near Guinea Station in western Caroline)who founded the county in 1727.  The Thorntons were living in Caroline in the 1600s long before the official formation of the county and supported the rebellion of Nathaniel Bacon.  When Bacon fell, The Royal Governor was unable to confiscate their property because it lay so far into hostile Indian territory.  No one wished to cross that frontier and inform the family of that fact.  The Thorntons, Francis and Anthony kept their property and carved a Homestead from the wilderness that would one day be Caroline County, Virginia. In 1727, Francis was the leader of a group of local planters who became frustrated that they were unable to obtain permission from Essex, King and Queen and King William Counties to build a road to transport their hogsheads of tobacco to the harbor in Port Royal. In the winter of 1727 he headed for Williamsburg with a petition to form a new county, but the Burgesses ignored his request.  

He stayed on there, into the year 1728 and finally caught the attention of a group of Tories who thought the formation of a new county might produce the election of a Royalist representative from this backwoods county who would be none the wiser of their political machinations.  The petition was granted and a new county was formed from the heads of Essex, King and Queen and King William with an unknown Burgess making the motion to name the county for the new English Queen, Caroline.  The people of Caroline however proved to be not quite the group of back woods "hicks" the Royalist fraction in Williamsburg hoped they would be and from day one, Caroline elected ardent rebels to serve them in House of Burgesses.  During the American Revolution, Anthony Thornton of Caroline commanded the county militia and took them to the Battle of Yorktown.   

back and side view of Ormesby