Palmer Lot at Middle Ford

Palmer Lot at Middle Ford (HM95A)

Location: Port Republic, VA 24471 Rockingham County
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Country: United States of America
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N 38° 17.64', W 78° 48.828'

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Inscription

Ford was site of Jackson's temporary bridge

Parallel to South River is seen the bed of the lower millrace which brought water power to several village industries. The Galliday Tannery was located on the far left; the Dundore/Downs Tannery on the adjoining property on the right. The Robert Waller Palmer house, known as Green Isle, stood between the race and the river. Its foundation, now covered by periwinkle, exceeds the measurement of sixteen by sixteen feet, the minimum allowed size of houses built on the first lots sold in the newly chartered town of 1802.

The ell-shaped limestone foundation near Water Street remains from the mid-nineteenth century house, store and post office of Palmer's son, John. An 1837 invoice describes his merchandise as "French, English, German and American Fancy Goods."

On the site was a slab bridge over the millrace which led to the middle ford of the South River. On June 8, 1862, Union soldiers under Col. Samuel Sprigg Carroll invaded the village by fording South River and cross the bridge. After the Federal invasion had been repelled, Confederates hurriedly constructed a temporary bridge during the night of June 8-9. Captain Claiborne R. Mason's African-American engineer troops performed the difficult job by dragging wagon beds into the flood-swollen river by means of a complicated pulley system, putting rocks atop the wagons, and then fastening lumber together to provide a precarious walkway. The next day Confederate soldiers, hurrying into the Battle of Port Republic raging just downstream, crossed gingerly. Eventually the temporary bridge broke down, leaving many obliged to wade through the deep water, holding their weapons and ammunition up to keep them dry.

Across the street are the Town Hall and the James Patterson log house built in the early 1800s. Patterson's home was later owned by Marshall Jones, the first freed African-American in Port. Also visible are some of the oldest remaining structures in the village.
Details
HM NumberHM95A
Tags
Year Placed1999
Placed BySociety of Port Republic Preservationists, Inc. in cooperation with Shenandoah Battlefield National Historic District Commission. Installation by the Port Republic Ruritan Club
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, September 4th, 2014 at 7:47pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 691184 N 4240696
Decimal Degrees38.29400000, -78.81380000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 17.64', W 78° 48.828'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 17' 38.40" N, 78° 48' 49.68" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)540
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 8650 Water St, Port Republic VA 24471, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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