Moss Neck Manor

Moss Neck Manor is a historic antebellum plantation house at Rappahannock Academy in Caroline County, Virginia. The property is best understood as a historic landmark and privately owned heritage site rather than as a commercial consumer brand. Its principal building was constructed in the Greek Revival style in the mid-1850s for James Parke Corbin, after the Corbin family's earlier principal plantation house, Laneville in King and Queen County, burned in 1843. Corbin had inherited the Moss Neck plantation from his father, Richard Corbin, and began developing a substantial replacement residence on the property. The manor was completed in 1856, shortly after the death of Corbin's first wife, Jane Katherine Wellford. The house reflects the scale and architectural ambitions of a large antebellum Virginia plantation. Its two-story central block is connected to long hyphens and pedimented terminal wings. Architectural features include colonnaded verandahs with Doric columns, a two-level portico, and an octagonal cupola. The building extends approximately 225 feet and remains notable for the completeness and monumentality of its Greek Revival design. The plantation's construction and economic foundation were connected to slavery. Historical records indicate that James Parke Corbin enslaved 33 people in King and Queen County in 1850 and approximately 100 people in Caroline County. Enslaved labor likely contributed directly to the construction of the house and indirectly to the wealth that financed it. Moss Neck Manor acquired additional historical significance during the American Civil War. Located roughly ten miles from the site of the Battle of Fredericksburg, the property was owned by the Corbin family when Confederate General Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson sought winter quarters in the area during the winter of 1862–1863. The Corbins offered Jackson the main house, but he declined to occupy it and instead used an office outbuilding. Moss Neck Plantation became the winter quarters of the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. On Christmas Day 1862, Jackson received Robert E. Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, and William N. Pendleton in the office. This gathering was later portrayed, with historical inaccuracies, in the film Gods and Generals. The site was also connected to Jackson's family during the final months of his life. His wife, Anna, and their infant daughter, Julia Jackson, arrived at nearby Guiney's Station on April 20, 1863, during a visit with Jackson. They stayed at nearby Belvoir rather than at the manor itself. Julia was baptized three days later by the Reverend Tucker Lacy. The visit ended after nine days when news arrived that Union forces had crossed the Rappahannock River near Chancellorsville. Moss Neck Manor was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The property encompasses approximately 290 acres and is privately owned. The manor has been renovated and updated and is occasionally opened for tours. Its continuing significance lies in its architecture, its connection to the Corbin family's plantation history and enslaved labor, and its Civil War associations.

Moss Neck Manor is an antebellum Greek Revival plantation house in the Rappahannock Academy area of Caroline County, Virginia. The plantation was inherited by James Parke Corbin from his father, Richard Corbin. Before the present manor was built, the Corbin family's principal house, Laneville in King and Queen County, was destroyed by fire in 1843. Corbin subsequently commissioned a much larger residence at Moss Neck. The manor was completed in 1856, shortly after the death of Corbin's first wife, Jane Katherine Wellford. The house has a two-story central section, long connecting hyphens, and pedimented end wings. Its Greek Revival character is expressed through Doric columns, colonnaded verandahs, a two-level portico, and an octagonal cupola. The building is approximately 225 feet long, making it an unusually substantial example of a Virginia plantation residence from the period. The property's development was inseparable from the institution of slavery. Census-era records show that Corbin enslaved 33 people in King and Queen County in 1850 and about 100 people in Caroline County. Enslaved people probably participated in building the manor, while the plantation economy and coerced labor helped generate the resources used for its construction. This context is central to interpreting the house as a historic plantation site rather than solely as an architectural object. During the winter of 1862–1863, the plantation became associated with Confederate military history. Moss Neck was approximately ten miles from the Battle of Fredericksburg and was then owned by the Corbin family. General Stonewall Jackson was invited to stay in the main house but chose instead to use an office outbuilding. The plantation served as winter quarters for the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. On December 25, 1862, Jackson met with Robert E. Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, and William N. Pendleton in the office. The gathering was later represented in the motion picture Gods and Generals, although the film's depiction was not fully accurate. Jackson's family also visited the region in April 1863. Anna Jackson and their infant daughter, Julia, arrived at Guiney's Station on April 20. They stayed at nearby Belvoir, and Julia was baptized three days later by Reverend Tucker Lacy. Their visit ended nine days later after reports that Union troops had crossed the Rappahannock near Chancellorsville. Moss Neck Manor was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The property covers about 290 acres and remains privately owned by Gilbert and Judy Shelton according to the referenced account. The house has undergone renovation and modernization and is occasionally open to visitors for tours. Its present historical interpretation encompasses architecture, plantation slavery, the Corbin family, and the site's Civil War associations.

• 1999

  National Register listing

  [1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  Moss Neck Manor was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1863

  Jackson family visits the area

  [1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  Anna Jackson and her infant daughter, Julia, visited the area in April 1863, staying at nearby Belvoir during a visit connected with Stonewall Jackson.

• 1862

  Confederate winter quarters established

  [1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  Moss Neck Plantation became winter quarters for the Second Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.

• 1862

  Jackson hosts Confederate leaders

  [1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  On Christmas Day, Stonewall Jackson received Robert E. Lee, J. E. B. Stuart, and William N. Pendleton in an office outbuilding at Moss Neck.

• 1856

  Moss Neck Manor completed

  [1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  James Parke Corbin completed the present Greek Revival manor house at the Moss Neck plantation.

• 1843

  Laneville burns

  [1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  The Corbin family's main plantation house, Laneville in King and Queen County, was destroyed by fire, prompting the development of a new major residence at Moss Neck.

A privately owned historic Virginia plantation house and heritage site valued for its Greek Revival architecture and Civil War associations.

• 1999

  Moss Neck Manor added to the National Register of Historic Places[1]Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The historic plantation house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, formally recognizing its architectural and historical importance.

1. 1Moss Neck Manoren.wikipedia.org