Janean: "Oakley" is owned by Page Henley, current Vice President of the Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Society, and slated next President of the same. He is a former board member of the Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library, on which board his wife Jan currently serves. His grandmother, Elizabeth Combs Peirce, was a founding member of the NNVHS and the Mary Ball Washington Museum & Library. She was an incredible force in her day. Her husband was Dr Chichester "Jigs" Pierce, one of the last of the country doctors. Depending on with whom you talk, he was either a statue of a man to be revered, or a symbol of terror if you were one of his child patients. Where I now live now, we have the kitchen stove from his home. This is in the home of Larry Brewer, who has his own recollection of "Jig" Peirce. He falls in the category of terrified children. But, he liked Mrs. Pierce. Yes. it is in the Nuttsville area, and just down the road from my house. I don't know the provenance of that property. It is not to be confused with "The Oaks" that was devised to Rawleigh Chinn by the will of Joseph Ball, Sr. to his son-in-law Rawleigh Chinn, though they across the road from one another. Chinns Mill pond is on the border of Lancaster and Richmond Counties on Rt. 3, not too far from this location. There is a highway sign that tells you "Chinn's Mill Pond" when you get there. On a google map, look for Rte 3, Lancaster/Richmond county border. You'll see it there. This was a former mill pond. The Mitchells were involved in this as co-owners. I have not ascertained the chain of title. The Lancaster County deed books are silent on how Richard Mitchell obtained any of his vast acreage in this area. One thing that stands out is that the Balls and Downmans played an integral part in all of it. The vast Mitchell properties splayed all the way from Morattico, up to Litwalton, down River Road to Mollusk, and as far East as Nuttsville. I should probably write an essay on this (after doing more research than I have already done) on my website and then make it a public link for anyone to read. The Mitchells were an incredible force in the early development of this part of Lancaster County. Their name has become largely forgotten. The financial situation of the Mitchell family (one of two lines of that name) was devastated by the Civil War. Heirs were scattered. But in their day, "Litwalton" was a booming enterprise. And even afterwards. You can read more about that in my article on this topic at: http://www.craigkilby.com/publihed/ Scroll down from that page to the article titled "A Tree Falls At Litwalton" Depending on your browsers, it will either open right up, or it will be a pdf download. I think you will find much information there about this locale. Craig On Sep 20, 2011, at 12:43 PM, Janean Ray wrote: > Interesting. I pulled up my description of Oakley which lists it in > Nuttsville and describes it on StR. 622 near Nuttsville. So in google > mapping this area I find CHINN'S POND. Did a street view and it is little > bit more than a "pond" lol. > > Can you tell me about this location? > > > Janean > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Craig Kilby > Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 9:31 PM > To: Northern Neck Northern Neck List > Subject: [VA-NORTHERN-NECK] Place Name: Nuttsville--CHINN > > This seems as good as time as any to renew the posts about Place Names of > the Northern Neck, by Mary R (Rita) Miller (Richmond: Virginia State > Library, 1983) > > DISCLOSURE: Just down the road from my home, "Falling Oaks", in Litwalton, > is Bunny's Garage, where he used to sell bumper stickers that say: > > NUTTSVILLE: VIRGINIA "RATED ONE OF THE AMERICA'S BEST SMALL TOWNS" BY U.S.A. > TODAY > > Bunny swears it is really true, and the bumper sticker is proudly displayed > on my refrigerator door conversation piece. It then promotes Bunny's Service > Center, 2699 Morattico Road, Lancaster, VA. "Bunny" is really Carl Hardy. > But everyone knows him as "Bunny." In fact, if you walk in there and call > him Carl, you might come under suspicion by the FBI for whom is wife and her > sister both work. (This is not a secret) > > With that modern day backdrop I'll recite here what Rita Miller had to say > about the place name of Nuttsville. > > ____________ > > Quote: > > NUTTSVILLE: Settlement and Post Office. Lancaster Co. northwest of Lively. > According to Martin*, it was established about 1800, and the post office > dated from1818 to 1818. In 1835, Nuttsville consisted of two dwellings , one > store, one blacksmith, and one tailor shop. The post office was moved to > Litwalton in 1841." > > The back and forth of the location of the local post office was purely > political affair, but it is certain that the Mitchell family in Litwalton > also held that privilege at their "Litwalton Enterprise" (now "Falling Oaks) > in 1841. It has moved back forth and up and down the road depending on who > was holding office in the US Congress. For now, it is in Nuttsville and has > been for about 50 years. That being said, if the USPS is going to be > downsizing any time soon, this will be one of the offices slated to be > closed, along with Mollusk and Morattico. > > _____________ > > So, from this we do not learn why it was named Nuttsville in the first > place, but Mary Miller also has this to say about that (to paraphrase > Richard Nixon): > > NUTTSVILLE: Tract. Lancaster County at the present settlement of the same > name. "Originally the property of JOHN CHINN, it was inherited by Chinn's > daughter Elizabeth who married William O. Nutt, for whom it is named. > Shortly after their marriage in 1798, he began construction of a large frame > house, which burned in 1929. The tract has given its name to the settlement > and former post office." > _____________ > > It is also the current post office, and the little area is predominantly > African-American and the site of frequent flashing lights from county > vehicles. > > _____________ > > Conclusion: I do not who William O. Nutt was, and this needs more research. > I can say with some certainty that the a study of early postmasters by > Christine Adams Jones, whose manuscripts are at the MBW, will something to > say about it, as well as other publications held at MBW published by the > USPS. > > And while I'm at it, nobody knows where the name "Litwalton" came from. It > was first called that in the will of William Ball Mitchell in 1842, when he > carved out 5 acres of what is now "Falling Oaks" in his will calling it "my > Litwalton Enterprise." > > Craig > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >