Providence Plantation and Farm

Providence Plantation and Farm, also known as Fogg House and Farm, is a historic plantation property near Newtown in King and Queen County, Virginia. The surviving principal residence is a two-story, three-bay brick house in the Federal style. It was constructed around 1826 by Thomas R. Dew as a wedding present for his eldest son, William Dew, and enlarged around 1840. The property is significant not only for the house but also for the collection of agricultural and domestic outbuildings that document changing patterns of rural life in the region. The plantation originated with Thomas R. Dew, a Revolutionary War veteran, who established an estate called Dewsville in King and Queen County. William Dew received 500 acres at his marriage and acquired another 200 acres from his father in 1837. Additional land and enslaved people may have passed to him after Thomas Dew's death in 1849. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the estate had become a substantial agricultural holding. In 1830, Dr. William Dew operated it with 17 enslaved people. At his death in 1854, his estate included two farms totaling approximately 1,211 acres and more than 60 enslaved people. The property's history is inseparable from slavery and the Civil War-era economy of Virginia. Eleven slave quarters were recorded in the 1860 slave census. On the eve of the Civil War, William Dew's widow, their three daughters, and their son Benjamin lived at the property, while three of the family's sons served as Confederate officers. After emancipation and the destruction of the plantation labor system, the widow and her daughters struggled to operate the farms with five hired laborers. The large original estate subsequently contracted through sales and changing ownership. Descendants sold the plantation in 1908. The property changed hands among several families during the following thirteen years before being acquired by the Fogg family. The Foggs retained it for roughly six decades and introduced modernization during their ownership. Although the main house suffered deterioration, including damage during a period when it was vacant, it retained more of its original fabric than many comparable houses from the same period in the surrounding area. The Norton family acquired and restored the property during the 1980s and 1990s, and the Stuart family continued the restoration effort afterward. The historic designation encompasses a much smaller parcel than the original plantation. The estate once covered roughly 1,299 acres, while the listed historic property contains approximately 6.47 acres. Contributing resources include the Federal-style brick dwelling, a two-story carriage house dating from the Reconstruction era, a hen-laying house associated with the Great Depression period, a two-story sweet-potato shed, and a mechanic's shop. Together these buildings illustrate the property's transition from a large antebellum plantation to a later agricultural holding. Providence Plantation and Farm became a Virginia Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The property is privately held and is currently associated with the Martin family.

Thomas R. Dew, a Revolutionary War veteran, established a King and Queen County plantation known as Dewsville. The property later became Providence Plantation and Farm. In 1826, Dew built the surviving two-story brick residence for his eldest son, William Dew, as a wedding gift. William expanded the house around 1840 and developed the surrounding agricultural estate. The plantation grew through family transfers and purchases. William Dew received 500 acres at his marriage and purchased a further 200 acres from his father in 1837. He may also have inherited additional acreage and enslaved people after Thomas Dew died in 1849. Records show that William operated the plantation with 17 enslaved people in 1830. At William's death in 1854, the estate consisted of two farms totaling about 1,211 acres and more than 60 enslaved people. The plantation's scale and labor system reflected the antebellum agricultural economy of Virginia. The 1860 slave census recorded eleven slave quarters, while the household included William's widow, their three daughters, and their son Benjamin. Three of the Dew sons served as Confederate officers during the Civil War. After the Civil War, the plantation's former labor system ended. William Dew's widow and daughters attempted to continue operating the farms with five hired laborers, but maintaining such a large property became difficult. The landholding contracted over time. Dew descendants sold the property in 1908, and it passed through several families during the next thirteen years. The Fogg family acquired the property after this period and retained it for approximately sixty years. Members of the family modernized the farm and continued to use the surrounding land, including areas that later passed out of the historic tract. The residence experienced periods of deterioration and damage, particularly while vacant, but preserved an unusually large amount of original material compared with other houses of similar age and type in the area. During the 1980s and 1990s, the Norton family acquired the property and undertook restoration work. The Stuart family subsequently advanced the preservation process. The original plantation had once encompassed approximately 1,299 acres, but the historic listing covers about 6.47 acres. The listed resources include the main brick house and several agricultural buildings: a Reconstruction-era two-story carriage house, a Great Depression-era hen-laying house, a two-story sweet-potato shed, and a mechanic's shop. These structures document the property's changing agricultural functions and the adaptation of the site after the plantation era. Providence Plantation and Farm was designated a Virginia Historic Landmark and entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It remains privately owned, with the Martin family identified as the current owner in the available reference material. The property is best understood as a historic place and architectural complex rather than as a commercial consumer brand.

• 2009

  National Register listing

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Providence Plantation and Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a Virginia Historic Landmark.

• 1908

  Dew descendants sell the plantation

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The property left the ownership of the Dew descendants and subsequently changed hands several times.

• 1854

  Death of Dr. William Dew

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  At his death, Dew's estate included two farms totaling about 1,211 acres and more than 60 enslaved people.

• 1840

  Main house enlarged

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  The residence was expanded around this period, creating the form that survives today.

• 1837

  William Dew expands the estate

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  William Dew purchased an additional 200 acres from his father, adding to the acreage transferred to him at marriage.

• 1830

  Documented enslaved labor force

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Records identify 17 enslaved people working at the plantation, comprising eight males and nine females.

• 1826

  Construction of the main house

  [1]Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas R. Dew built the two-story Federal-style brick residence as a wedding present for his eldest son, William Dew.

A privately held historic agricultural property interpreted through its surviving Federal-era residence, later farm buildings, and documented evolution from an antebellum plantation to a smaller twentieth-century farm.

1. 1Providence Plantation and Farmen.wikipedia.org