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The Chimneys
- dogwoodandironrese
- Mar 7
- 6 min read
Located at 623 Caroline Street a gorgeous Georgian architecture stands confident as it watches over the city. With its stone foundation, weatherboard siding, six over six and nine over nine window panes, kitchen that was initially a separate structure until around 1908, and its unusually large chimneys that gave the structure its name. The front of the house faces Caroline Street today, but the front was originally on the other side facing the Rappahannock River.
The walls of this home holds the memories of those who lived and visited here. If only the walls could talk, oh the stories they would tell of laughter, tears, celebrations, fear, happiness, and loss. The windows are its eyes and are witness to all that occurs outside. For over two centuries it has watched the Rappahannock River’s current and watched the wooden merchant ships come into port as the economy boomed. As the desire for American independence grew it watched neighbors turn against each other as the division between independence and continued English rule deepened. It met future American presidents when they were just attorneys.
Right before Christmas in 1862, it once again witnessed American division during the Battle of Fredericksburg. From December 11th-15, destruction ensued throughout the city as the Union and Confederate forces fought for control of the city. Men running through the streets, bullets and cannon balls flying through the air, women and children hiding in their cellars for protection as their homes were ransacked, destroyed and burned above them.
Wounded men laid all over the streets and homes were used as makeshift hospitals. The Chimneys was no exception. Even though it survived destruction during the battle, its rooms would have been swapped from restful living quarters, to makeshift operating rooms. At less than one century old, these windows and walls had so much to tell. But, life moves on the Chimneys saw healing and rebuilding over the next several decades. The Chimneys has had multiple owners over its lifetime, but its history continued to be embraced and cherished. Its current owner, Bilikens Smokehouse is no exception! Its history is continuing to be preserved and cherished today.
The first record of the property being sold was in 1740 to Henry and John Willis. The property changed hands many times between 1740 and 1771 when Charles Yates, a merchant in Fredericksburg, sold it to John Glassell (also a merchant). Charles died in 1809 and is buried in the Masonic Cemetery next to the James Monroe museum. John most likely built the house even though there isn’t recorded documentation whether the structure existed when he procured it from Charles. There is varying opinion on who built the structure. John was born in Galloway, Scotland in 1738 and presumably moved to Fredericksburg around 1771. He owned several tracts of land in Fredericksburg and was a successful merchant. As the cry for independence became increasingly louder across the colonies, John, being a British Loyalist, decided to move back to Scotland. So, in 1780 he transferred all his property to his brother Andrew (residing in Culpeper). John married Helen Buchan in 1795, had a daughter named Joanna in 1796, and made his home back in Scotland. He died in 1806 and never returned to Fredericksburg.
Andrew did not live at the Chimneys and died in 1814. Daniel Grinnan was listed as his Power of Attorney and oversaw the sale to John Mundell in 1814. Mundell owned it for approximately 18 months. In a twist of events, Daniel Grinnan married Andrew Glassell’s daughter Hellen B. Glassell in 1815 and Mundell deeded the house to Daniel and his new wife on February 1, 1815. Daniel had moved to Fredericksburg from Culpeper at a young age and joined the local Somerville & Mitchell merchants in town. He was known for his “untiring industry and integrity”. He eventually became a merchant partner at the firm Murray, Grinnan, & Mundell and owned a lot of property in Fredericksburg. He died on March 25, 1830, and is buried in the Masonic Cemetery.
Claiborne Wigglesworth, another merchant in Fredericksburg, bought the house in 1818 from Grinnan. Claiborne owned lots of property, but found himself in a financial situation which resulted in the home being put up for auction. Fayette Johnston won the bid and bought it for $1,300. Johnston owned it for 12 years.
In 1843, Dr. Brodie Herndon bought the house. He lived there for 29 years and ran his practice from his office in the basement. In 1937, it was noted by the current resident (Buffington) that his saddle bags were still in the room that was his office. A side entrance was added for specific use of his practice. He was the brother of Captain William Lewis Herndon who was known for exploring the Amazon River in 1851. Captain Herndon died in a hurricane on the S.S. Central America off Cape Hatteras in 1857.
During this time, the future 21st President of the United States visited and married who would have been the 21st First Lady.
Nell Arthur Circa 1850's (Courtesy of LOC)
At the death of Captain Herndon, his twenty-year-old Ellen “Nell” Lewis Herndon (Brodie’s niece) moved from her home in Culpeper and came to live at the Chimneys with her mother. She was a beautiful woman, talented singer, and well known in town. A young Charles A Chester came to Fredericksburg and fell in love with her. It was reported that much of the courting had been done on the steps of the old stairs. They were engaged in the large northern front room downstairs and finalized a wedding in NY in 1859. Charles Chester would go on to become the 21st president but tragically, Ellen would die in 1880 of pneumonia less than one year before he became Vice-President. Chester and Nell can be added to the list of Presidents and First Ladies to have lived in Fredericksburg.
In 1872, Charles A. Shepherd owned the property. Charles owned a dry-goods business in NY and after the Civil War he came to Fredericksburg and owned a hardware store on Caroline Street. He had two daughters that made the house a home.
In 1882, William St. John, his wife Hanna Benedict, and their 3 daughters. Moved here from New Canaan, CT. Interestingly, one daughter Rosalie, married Charles Herndon (son of Dr. Brodie Herndon). St. John owned it until 1908.
Mary (Kent) Norris bought the property in 1908 after the death of her husband Hannon E. Norris in 1907. They operated a high-end jewelry store, Norris Jewelry store (to the right of the house) at 619 Caroline. When Hannon died, Mary remarried to Ralph Buffington. He was a Doctor of Optometry and operated his practice out of the jewelry store until 1945.
The property was purchased by the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc. (HFFI) in 1967 and became their headquarters and museum until 1970’s when it was sold to be converted into a restaurant. Since then, the Chimneys has been home to several local restaurants including Billikens today.
Ghosts
There have been many reports of the Chimneys being haunted. Reports specifically note a woman’s spirit that continues to occupy the house. Many thought that it was Joanna Glassell, daughter of John. However, Joanna was born in 1796, 16 years after John moved back to Scotland so it’s unlikely to have been her.
The story of the haunting has continued for almost a century and is a special addition to the Chimney’s story. The earliest reporting comes from the Shepherd’s time as occupants. They reported to Mrs. St. John when she purchased the house (1882) of hearing a woman’s footsteps as early as 1872, but they had gotten used to it. Mrs. St. John had her own experiences with hearing footsteps at night. When Mary Norris bought the house in 1908, St. John told her about the ghost and relayed the Shepherds and her own experiences hearing it pacing the house at night. When interviewed by the W.P.A. surveyor in 1937, the Buffington’s recalled very specific activity they had witnessed. They all heard the footsteps of a woman at night and during the day from time to time. The sounds came from the guest room along with the mechanical sounds of a doorknob turning. The Buffington’s daughter, Sallie Norris, recalled directly a time she felt the ghost pat her on the shoulder. She couldn’t see her, but knew she was present. As with the previous owners, the ghost existed as a silent member of the family. Evidence of ghosts is still reported today over 150 years later.
Sources
· Virginia Historical Inventory Project (VHIP): Chimneys. (n.d.). https://image.lva.virginia.gov/VHI/html/27/0076.html
· Library of Congress. [Mrs. Chester Arthur, half-length portrait, facing left]. https://www.loc.gov/item/96525599/
· Department of Historic Resources (DHR). The Chimneys. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/111-0015/
· Free Lance Star, Fredericksburg, Virginia, January 14, 1967. Newspapers.com
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