From "Welcome to Fort Valley" by Jeanette Conner Ritenour, James Harris Trott & Margaret Akers Trott.

In 1833 Daniel Munch signed a contract for the construction of a massive bank barn, featuring a five-foot high brick foundation wall, a single eighty-six foot crossbeam, and a large granary, which he planned to share with his sons as they matured.36 The following year, the family—including his German-speaking mother-in-law Elizabeth— moved into a grand new red brick house situated up the hill on the site of one of Daniel’s stills, just above the old Ridenour home. Although no one could know it then, this would be the only brick home built in the Fort Valley until after World War II. Crafted in the Federal “I-house” style favored by the mostly British-born landowners of the Piedmont and Greater Valley (where it was called Georgian architecture), Daniel’s home must have impressed those who came calling for either business or social reasons. In marked contrast to the Anglo-style exterior was the almost gaudily decorated interior woodwork that was probably created in tribute to Mary’s mother. Elizabeth lived with them until her death in the late 1830s. Painted by an itinerant artist in bright hues of carmine red, Prussian blue and green, deep rose, and yellow, it featured the kind of faux finishes popular in Germany during the previous century.
Daniel Munch’s building plans did not end there. In 1830, when he was constructing the brick kiln in preparation for his new home, he had deeded one-and-a-half acres of land to three trusted citizens of the community (John Mclnturff, Daniel Cullers, and John Bushong) for the construction of a church that was, according to the deed, “in case of meetings being held at said place.. .to be Free for all Christian Denominations.”

From "Welcome to Fort Valley" by Jeanette Conner Ritenour, James Harris Trott & Margaret Akers Trott.

When Daniel and Mary’s eldest son Silas (1812-93) was born, the couple was living with her parents (Adam and Elizabeth) in their home a mile below (north of) the Cross Roads. They continued to live with her parents during Mary’s childbearing years, during which she brought into the world Vincent (1815), who died in childhood, Enoch (1817-64), and Addison (1822-1908). By the time Mary’s father Adam died in 1822, Daniel had amassed a considerable amount of acreage, much of it purchased from his and Mary’s siblings, on which he grew increasing amounts of wheat to sell in Tidewater markets and even abroad. Quite the entrepreneur, he diversified his father-in-law’s farm operations to include an apple orchard, two large stills (one of them for making apple brandy), a saw mill and grist mill. He would add bark stripping and charcoal operations after purchasing 536 acres of mountain land from agent William Elzey in 1836. A decade earlier, however, he seems to have been troubled enough with various aspects of his life to consider leaving the security of the Fort. On 13 May 1826, the above ad appeared in the Sentinel of the Valley.
Although we will never know why Daniel determined to leave the Fort in 1826, nor what ultimately caused him to remain, we can speculate a bit. By 1826, Daniel was already a “progressive entrepreneur” who, in marked contrast with most other Fort farmers, could comfortably conduct his farm business and land deals in English. He appears to have been well read. As a man ambitious for himself and his family, did he believe better opportunities lay beyond the relative isolation of the Fort? Or did clashes between Fort residents over the daily use of English versus German, plus other religious and life style tensions encourage Daniel to seek a new life elsewhere?
In any event, Daniel and his family did not “remove to a western country.” The farm was not sold, and Daniel continued to purchase land in the Fort and to act as befitted a respected pillar of the community.