The farm once called Rose Hill, AKA Armstrong Place, was built circa 1800 by Dr. Rose in Culpeper Co, Virginia. John Spilman Armstrong, my 4x great grandfather, purchased this home prior to the civil war. It is said that he purchased this with money he earned by helping to construct the Rappahannock River Canal. Here is where Armstrong operated the first circular saw in the county.[i]
The large rectangular house has hand-hewn sills, 12 x 12. The plates, sills and slotted rafters are all heart pine; wooden pegs hold the rafters in place.[i]
It is said that the original owners Dr. and Mrs. Rose are buried on this property in unmarked graves.
This is the home where Sallie Alice Armstrong wrote her diary during the civil war. She married her husband, John Roberts Turner, at Rose Hill as shown in the Turner Family Bible. Sallie and John are my 2x great grandparents.
This house stayed in the Armstrong family for over 100 years. It was first owned by John Spilman Armstrong (1811-1884). His son John Edward Armstrong (1847-1938) owned it for a number of years and then his son Edward Brent Armstrong, Sr. owned it (1882-1963). [ii]
It is currently owned by Nancy Weik. She and her husband purchased the farm prior to 1980. They raised their children there. Nancy and her daughter Lili run it. It is now called Overlook Manor Farm. They breed sheep and horses.
They were very kind to open up their home to about two dozen Armstrong descendants and friends visiting their farm for Armstrong Day. Many of the Armstrong cousins remembered playing there as children and visiting for various family events. It was really nice to see their faces light up as they remembered the places they played and rooms they slept in as children.
