Upper Brandon Plantation
A historic plantation estate and agricultural property on the James River in Prince George County, Virginia.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Upper Brandon Plantation is a historic estate on the James River in Prince George County, Virginia. Its documented origins reach back to a 1616 land patent of approximately 5,000 acres issued to Captain John Martin, one of the founders of Jamestown. Over the following century, the property was held by absentee owners and expanded by roughly 2,000 acres. Benjamin Harrison II of Berkeley acquired the land before his death in 1712, beginning the Harrison family's long association with the plantation. The present Upper Brandon mansion was built in the early nineteenth century. Nathaniel Harrison II, who inherited the acreage from his father, built the earlier Brandon mansion in 1765. After Benjamin Harrison III divided the larger estate between his sons, William Byrd Harrison inherited the tract that became known as Upper Brandon. Harrison completed the principal residence and its two dependencies in 1825. The Federal-style brick house is organized around a central hall and has a five-bay façade, a low hipped roof, and a widow's walk. Its large Tidewater plan includes four principal corner rooms, substantial basement and second-floor spaces, and an unfinished attic. The two smaller brick dependencies were connected to the house by low hyphens; one accommodated kitchen and laundry functions, while the other is believed to have served as a school or office. The building's architectural character reflects the influence of Asher Benjamin's American Builder's Companion. Its Flemish-bond brickwork, slate roof, classical porches, and Composite and Ionic columns place it within the tradition of grand Virginia plantation houses. Architectural similarities have led to the suggestion that itinerant craftsmen associated with Upper Brandon may also have worked on other important Virginia residences, although the individual builders have not been definitively identified. Upper Brandon was a working plantation dependent on enslaved labor before the Civil War. County tax records recorded 94 enslaved people at Upper Brandon in 1824, while the related Brandon property recorded 93. William Byrd Harrison and his family lived at the estate until the Civil War. Harrison did not return after the conflict, and ownership subsequently passed through members of the Harrison and Byrd families. Francis Otway Byrd, described as the last Harrison descendant to reside at Upper Brandon, inherited the property in 1909. The estate changed hands several times in the twentieth century. Harry Clarke Thompson and Frances Hargroves Thompson purchased it in 1948 and later assembled adjoining agricultural properties. In 1950, their son-in-law Henning Frederick Robertson assumed responsibility for operating the farm and dairy. After Thompson's death, the approximately 1,800-acre property was sold in 1961 to Fred E. Watkins of Curles Neck Farms. Watkins used Upper Brandon farmland to grow feed for cattle at Curles Neck Dairy, while Robertson and his family continued managing the farm and living in the main house until 1969. The mansion remained unoccupied from 1969 until 1984, when the James River Corporation acquired the property, restored the house, and used it as a conference center and corporate retreat. The company later acquired the adjoining Edloe property from the Robertson family. In 2012, Upper Brandon was purchased by the James C. Justice Companies. The Justice family currently owns and operates the property in association with its broader farming interests. The estate is also protected by a conservation easement held by the American Farmland Trust. Upper Brandon was designated a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1996.
History
Upper Brandon Plantation forms part of the early English colonial landholding history of the James River region. In 1616, Captain John Martin received a patent for approximately 5,000 acres. Richard Quiney, identified in the historical record as the brother of William Shakespeare's son-in-law, later purchased the property from Martin's grandson and held it jointly with John Sadler, with William Barker possibly also involved. These owners and their heirs were largely absentee proprietors for nearly a century and expanded the holding by an additional 2,000 acres. Benjamin Harrison II of Berkeley obtained the property before his death in 1712. The acreage passed to his son Nathaniel Harrison and then to Col. Nathaniel Harrison II, who constructed the 1765 mansion associated with Brandon Plantation. After Benjamin Harrison III's death, his will divided the approximately 7,000-acre property between his sons George Evelyn Harrison and William Byrd Harrison. George received the original Brandon house, while William Byrd Harrison inherited the tract that became Upper Brandon. William Byrd Harrison completed Upper Brandon's principal house and two dependencies in 1825. The mansion is a substantial Federal-style Tidewater residence built in red brick. It has a central hall, four large corner rooms repeated on the basement and second floors, a low hipped roof, and a widow's walk. The attic was never completed. The two dependencies were linked to the main house by low connecting passages. The west building contained the kitchen and laundry, while the east building may have functioned as a school or office. Additions made in 1859 expanded the main structure. Architectural details at Upper Brandon were influenced by Asher Benjamin's American Builder's Companion. The building's formal arrangement, classical porches, Flemish-bond brickwork, and slate roof reflect the architectural ambitions of wealthy Virginia plantation families. Similar construction features at other Virginia houses have prompted speculation that the same itinerant craftsmen may have worked on several properties, though the sources do not establish their identities with certainty. The estate operated within the antebellum plantation economy and relied on enslaved labor. Prince George County tax records counted 94 enslaved people at Upper Brandon in 1824. William Byrd Harrison and his family remained at the property until the Civil War. He did not return after the war, and the plantation passed to his nephew George Harrison Byrd after Harrison's death in 1870. Francis Otway Byrd, the last Harrison descendant reported to have lived at Upper Brandon, inherited the estate in 1909. Harry Clarke Thompson and his wife Frances Hargroves Thompson bought the property in 1948. Thompson later acquired the neighboring Dunmore and Edloe properties. In 1950, the Thompsons asked their son-in-law, Henning Frederick Robertson, to operate the farm and dairy. Following Harry Thompson's death, the roughly 1,800-acre Upper Brandon property was sold in 1961 to Fred E. Watkins of Curles Neck Farms. Watkins used the land to produce feed for cattle at Curles Neck Dairy. Robertson and his family continued to manage the property and occupied the main house until 1969. The mansion was vacant for approximately fifteen years. In 1984, the James River Corporation acquired Upper Brandon, restored the principal buildings, and adapted the estate for use as a conference center and corporate retreat. The corporation later acquired adjoining Edloe land from members of the Robertson family. In 2012, the James C. Justice Companies acquired Upper Brandon. The property is currently associated with the Justice family's privately held agricultural and land interests. Its conservation status is strengthened by an easement held by the American Farmland Trust. The Commonwealth of Virginia recognized the estate as a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1996.
- 2012
Justice family acquisition
[1]The James C. Justice Companies purchased the plantation.
- 1996
Virginia Historic Landmark designation
[1]Upper Brandon was listed as a Virginia Historic Landmark.
- 1984
James River Corporation restoration
[1]James River Corporation acquired and restored the estate for conference and corporate-retreat use.
- 1961
Property sold to Curles Neck Farms owner
[1]The approximately 1,800-acre property was sold to Fred E. Watkins of Curles Neck Farms.
- 1948
Thompson ownership begins
[1]Harry Clarke Thompson and Frances Hargroves Thompson purchased Upper Brandon.
- 1859
Two wings added
[1]Two wings were added to the principal building.
- 1825
Upper Brandon house completed
[1]William Byrd Harrison completed the main residence and its two dependencies.
- 1824
Tax records document enslaved labor
[1]County records listed 94 enslaved people at Upper Brandon.
- 1765
Earlier Brandon mansion constructed
[1]Col. Nathaniel Harrison II built the mansion at Brandon Plantation.
- 1712
Harrison family ownership begins
[1]Benjamin Harrison II of Berkeley had acquired the property before his death, establishing the Harrison family's long connection with the estate.
Products and positioning
A protected historic plantation estate combining architectural heritage, agricultural land, and private estate operations.
Brand decisions
2012
Acquisition by James C. Justice CompaniesM&ABackground
The historic estate had previously been used for agricultural operations and as a corporate retreat.
Action taken
The James C. Justice Companies purchased Upper Brandon and placed it within the Justice family's broader privately held agricultural interests.
Aftermath
The property remains associated with the Justice family and is protected by a conservation easement held by the American Farmland Trust.
1984
Adaptive reuse as a corporate retreatStrategyBackground
After the mansion had stood unoccupied since 1969, James River Corporation acquired the estate.
Action taken
The corporation restored the mansion and used the property as a conference center and corporate retreat.
Aftermath
The restoration returned the principal buildings to active use and preceded the corporation's later acquisition of adjoining Edloe property.
Sources1 sources
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