The Paxton House

    The Paxton House, as we know it at Glen Maury Park, is designated as one of Virginia’s Historic Landmarks. The following is the history of this fine Virginia Home. The Paxton House was built by Elisha Franklin Paxton between 1830-1835. Their ancestors originated in Scotland. They then migrated through England, Ireland and then to the colony of Pennsylvania, whence they moved south and west and found homes in many states and territories. The name Paxton is of Saxon origin, meaning gardener. Through enterprise, they acquired wealth, influence and title. The Paxton’s were among the earliest settlers of Rockbridge County. Several of the earlier generations were wealthy, aristocratic planters and unusually heavy growers of hemp.

    William Paxton, the father of Elisha Paxton, was one of the earliest settlers in Rockbridge. He first came here in 1745 from Pennsylvania. William Paxton commanded a company of soldiers in the Battle of Yorktown and his father, James Paxton, was a soldier under Crowmell. Eleanor Hays (1743-18 15) was the wife of William Paxton. The Paxton House was built between 1830-1835 on land acquired by Elisha Paxton from the estate of his father, William Paxton in 1810. Elisha Paxton first purchased a tract of 280 acres, which was enlarged through subsequent purchases. At the time of his death he owned in excess of 650 acres. Elisha Paxton (1785-1867) married Margaret McNutt Paxton (1792-1856) who was the sister of Alexander Gallatin McNutt, who became governor of Mississippi.

    Paxton’s prosperity as a farmer is evident in the fine quality of his house. Built by Elisha Paxton, the house contains distinguishing but provincial architectural features that suggest the work of a local builder. It’s composition is suggestive of the work of a local Lexington builder, John Jordan or Samuel Dorst. Glen Maury features distinctive but provincial classical revival architectural elements. The interior contains a set of outstanding provincial Adamesque mantels in the heavy style of the valley. Elisha Paxton built the original house from brick made on the farm.

    One of the exterior bricks is plainly imprinted with a leaf, possibly a trademark, but more likely the result of an accident or a child’s joke. As was the custom, the walls were laid three bricks thick, providing both structural strength and insulation. But Elisha Paxton’s good taste is perhaps more clearly reflected in the graceful lines of windows and doors and in the lovely mantelpieces throughout the house. Each of the original rooms had a fireplace, the only means of heating the building and even the upstairs bedrooms feature ornate but exquisitely proportional hand carved mantels. The front door opening onto the white columned porch, is framed by a fanlight of thirteen panes and side lights on either side of the door. Old timers say the fanlight was once composed of colored glass and the thirteen panes were symbolic of the original colonies of the United States. A puzzle about the house is created by the presence of two bricks, located one on either side of the door opening onto the upstairs front porch. On each is carefully cut the initials “AMNP” and on one the date 1835 is quite clear. It was not unusual for builders of that era to sign their work, but records clearly indicate that Elisha Paxton built this house and those certainly are not his initials. The most likely explanation for this seeming contradiction is that “AMNP” stands for Alexander McNutt Paxton, a son of Elisha who would have been twenty-one when the house was built, certainly old enough to take part in the design of construction of the family. Another signature tends to support this thesis. Traced in the plaster on the wall of an upstairs bedroom now covered by wallpaper, is the name “Alexander”.

    In those days the Paxton Place, as the farm was called, was a thriving producer of all kinds of local crops. The nearby river provided easy transportation of grains and whisky to Richmond, where goods could be sold for a profit. Members of the family and slaves would load flatboats with crops to be sold and floated down the Maury (then called the North River), into the James River and on to Richmond.

    Elisha and Margaret Paxton raised and gave college educations to seven sons. One of these sons and most noted in this area is General Elisha Franklin Paxton. He was born on March 4, 1928. He attended the classical school of his cousin, James H. Paxton, and later graduated from Washington College in 1845, at the age of 17, from Yale in 1847 and completed a law course at the University of Virginia in 1849. He worked in the prosecutions of land claims in the state of Ohio after graduation. He began practicing law in Lexington in 1854 and in that same year married Elizabeth Hannah White (1831-1872) the daughter of Matthew White. Their children were Matthew W. Paxton, John G. Paxton and Frank Paxton. Matthew Paxton was the editor of the Rockbridge County News. In 1860, owning to an eye disease, he gave up law and bought Thorn-Hill, a valuable estate near Lexington. In giving up the practice of law, he turned his attention to farming and was very prosperous. He was a states right Democrat, and felt a deep interest in political affairs. When the first call for volunteers for the south was made in 1861 he marched as a lieutenant of the “1st Rockbridge Rifles” to Harpers Ferry. In the first battle of Manassas he was commended for gallantry on the field, in bearing the colors of a Georgia Regiment whose standard-bearer had been shot down. A short time, later he was promoted to major of his regiment, the 27th Virginian and was placed on Stonewall Jackson’s staff. Because he was such a strict disciplinarian as a major, he was relieved of command on a vote of confidence by his men. He then became a voluntary aid for Stonewall Jackson, with no pay, and paid his own expense. Jackson cited him many times for his distinguished service and in the fall of 1862, he was promoted to Brigidaire General on Jackson’s recommendation and took command of the “Stonewall Brigate”. He led the “Stonewall Brigate” in some of the most memorable conflicts on Virginia soil. During the war, his thoughts turned to God and a premonition warned him he would never return home. He united himself with the Presbyterian Church, and arose each morning with prayer and carried the bible next to his heart. The night before the battle at Chancellorsville he expressed an assurance he would be killed the next day. In the morning he arose as usual for his private devotions before going into battle and he was shot leading his men. General Paxton died at the head of his troops at Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863.

    The Paxton family occupied the house and property located at Glen Maury Park until 1873 when it was sold through a chancery suit brought by his administrator, James H. Paxton, for the settlement of the estate of Elisha Paxton. Through the years the farm remained rural sometimes held by absentee owners and sometimes providing a home for lively children. In 1873 was sold by the court to William Walz. William Walz sold the property to E. A. Moore on November 6, 1876 for $9,000 9340 acres). On January 8, 1890, E. A. Moore conveyed 340 acres on North River to the West Buena Vista Land Company. On February 28, 1902 the West Buena Vista Land Company sold 277.3 acres of this land to J. C. Glass. The large and mischievous clan of children romped through the house and outbuildings leaving their mark in the form of childish drawings and carvings everywhere. One is particularly typical. On an attic wall is a portrait of one of the children, apparently sketched in charcoal or crayon by one of his siblings. The picture represents a spike headed human, with a pig’s nose and a huge mouth full of dragon like teeth. It is captioned, “Dan Glass, the Wild Man from Borneo”.

    T. H. Glass conveyed the land to Carrie E. Wills, including several lots making a total of 303 acres on May 4, 1915.  William H. Brown then purchased it on February 20, 1935. William Brown sold it to E. S. Shurtleff in 1941. Mr. Shurtleff did not live in the house but had it run as a farm. He was in the dry cleaning business in Kentucky and flew in on the weekends in his own plane. He was killed in a plane crash after which the farm was sold to Charles M. Wescott in July 1963. The Wescott’s operated the farm with the growing of crops and also a dairy barn. The house was used as the Glen Maury Tea Room” which offered food and lodging.

    In 1971, the City of Buena Vista being concerned about a dependable source of water for industrial and residential use, purchased the old Paxton Place (which had recently been renamed Glen Maury a Scotch name meaning Valley of the Maury River) as a site for reservoir to be constructed later. A far sighted City Manager recognized that the farm could provide both water and a much needed recreational facility for the community.

    The development of Glen Maury Park was an ambitious and expensive project for a small community. The Virginia Historic Landmark Commission proclaimed the Paxton House an historic landmark in the spring of 1978. It was shortly later that a Senior Citizens Center for, not only our Buena Vista residents, but for all over the county was formed. Today Glen Maury Park is a 315-acre camping and recreational facility from which our city should be and is proud to own. We look forward to the future of Glen Maury Park and the Paxton House.

    We look on the past of Glen Maury Park and the Paxton House with pride and admiration for our heritage and we look forward to the future with great anticipation.