Rippon Lodge

Rippon Lodge is one of the oldest houses remaining in Prince William County, Virginia. Built around 1747 by Richard Blackburn (1705-1757[3]) as the main residence and headquarters of his plantation, it lies on high ground overlooking Neabsco Creek at the south end of what is now the unincorporated town of Woodbridge at 15520 Blackburn Road. The house takes its name from Richard Blackburn's birthplace, the small city of Ripon in North Yorkshire, England.

Rippon Lodge
Rippon Lodge
Nearest cityWoodbridge, Virginia
Coordinates38°36′51.3576″N 77°16′38.4234″W
Area40 acres (16 ha)
NRHP reference No.71000988[1]
VLR No.076-0023
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 2, 1971
Designated VLRJanuary 5, 1971 [2]

History

The plantation house is located along a remnant of the original Kings Highway (now known as the "Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route" ); this vital roadway connected the 13 original colonies, stretching from Newport, Rhode Island to Charleston, South Carolina, playing a vital role in the American Revolutionary War. It was along this road that colonial troops marched to defeat the British at Yorktown.

Originally a tobacco plantation, the land holdings stretched from Neabsco Creek westward to near what is now I-95 and amounted to about 21,000 acres (85 km2). The property featured its own port on Neabsco Creek and is close to the town of Dumfries, a once-important colonial seaport.

Built by slavery under Richard Blackburn, the house was passed to his son, Col.Thomas Blackburn who would serve in the House of Burgesses and his son Richard Scott Blackburn would serve in the Virginia House of Delegates, both representing Prince William County. A Blackburn family member sold it around 1820 to the Atkinson family, members of which lived there for about 100 years.

In 1923 the property was sold again. The buyers were former Ohio Attorney General Wade H. Ellis and his wife Dessie, who had moved to Washington, D.C. after Wade Ellis became assistant to the Attorney General. The Ellises both renovated and preserved the property. Sometime after buying Rippon Lodge, Ellise discovered Richard Blackburn was his ancestor, but it remains unclear at what point during his tenure this became known and how much it influenced the preservation efforts. After Wade Ellis died, Mrs. Ellis sold the house to another Blackburn family member, Admiral Richard Blackburn Black, an Arctic explorer and compatriot of Admiral Byrd. Admiral Black's daughter inherited the house in 1989 and sold it to Prince William County in 2000.

Hours

Prince William County has restored the house and maintains the surrounding 42 acres (170,000 m2) of property. Rippon Lodge is open to the public from May through October on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4pm.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  3. "Richard Blackburn b. 1705 Ripon, Yorkshire, England d. 15 Jul 1757 Ripon Lodge, Prince William County, Virginia: Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties". www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
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