Thomas Ramsey Homeplace
Ajax, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA – *No GPS coordinates
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Add PhotosNOTE re the "Stone House" article below: Harry Lee King tells me that the house in the following article would have been the kitchen and/or "safe" house, providing protection from Indians who were in the area at this time. The house where the family lived and raised their children would have been a much larger structure and likely made from logs.
Stone House
From p12 of the Star-Tribune, Chatham, VA. Thu, Apr 7, 1983
The Old Stone House is a County Landmark that Has Disappeared
The Old Stone House, a landmark of NW Pittsylvania for some 170 years from about 1750 to around 1900. The old house was constructed by Thomas Ramsey, who came by way of PA from Scotland.
The rocks for the old house were hauled from a quarry on the farm by a blind horse. The blasting marks are still visible at the Old White Rock quarry.
Someone inadvertently threw a cherry seed out the door. It sprouted at the back of the house and grew into a tree. Years later, it began to crack the walls of the house. The Ramseys moved out and the bats moved in.
Although the Old Stone House has disappeared, the site was the Guy Ramsey farm located between SANDY LEVEL and MUSEVILLE, about a mile off Rt 40.
A. D. Ramsey, Star-Tribune correspondent for Penhook, has written an interesting background about the old landmark, and gives a sketch of the Ramsey family that built the Old Stone House and the offsprings that followed.
In 1763, Thomas Ramsey purchased from John Richardson about 200 acres of land on Rocke Creek in what was then Halifax County. Although Mr. Ramsey had earlier purchased land on Reddis Creek and other places, he lived on this land after this time. During those years and until his death in 1790, he raised 13 children. He was one of the few people whose will named books, pewter, and guns as valuables, so he was by those standards, a reasonably wealthy man.
On this land he, with the help of neighbors such as William Young (also kin) built the rock house. Using native rock, the house was a work of art.
Some believe that John Richardson might have started the home earlier, and this may be true as he was a blacksmith and wheelwright. However, the house stood for many years and served as home for Hailey S. Ramsey family also.
Hailey S. Ramsey was the son of Thomas Ramsey Jr and a grandson of the first Thomas. Thomas Jr served his country during the Revolutionary War and in writings, he left behind a very sad story of hardship and trouble during this period.
Thomas Jr lived most of his life in Franklin County, dying there in 1844. His son Hailey S. apparently came back to Pittsylvania County in 1813, when he purchased the land from the Thomas Sr estate.
Making the Rock House their home, this family of 12 children (10 lived to adulthood) lived and grew within its walls.
The house that should still be standing was destroyed by a tree. The tree grew between the wall, splitting the wall and making the house unsafe. The family then built onto the kitchen that stood a a short distance away, and the rock house was left to fate.
Over the yrs, as family members died, a graveyard on the hill from the house grew. Hailey S, Ramsey and his wife Esther Zeigler Ramsey both rest there.
It is believed that the first Thomas and his wife Frances are in unmarked graves. At least 30 unmarked graves are located within the area.
Over the yrs, Hailey A. Ramsey, son of Hailey S. Ramsey purchased the land and when he and his wife Eliza Bennett Ramsey passed away, they were buried in the family graveyard.
In about 1913, Walter Eugene Ramsey, son of Hailey A., and his two sons Guy Bennett Ramsey and Adolphus David Ramsey, fenced in the graveyard area. At this time, Adolphus Ramsey was abt 13 yrs old.
In 1927, Walter Eugene was laid to rest there, and in 1931 he was joined in death by his wife Mollie Rebecca Buck Ramsey. A son Roy Ramsey, already was buried there, having d in 1885.
Other members of the Ramsey family with graves marked are Angeline Ramsey, daughter of Hailey A. and Eliza. (One interesting point, on her tombstone, the spelling RamsAy was used.) Armistead Fullove Ramsey has triplets buried there.
In an unmarked grave lies Hailey Bennett Ramsey and one of his children. Also little Mittie Ramsey is believed there and many others.
Much Ramsey history lives within this area and all descendants from the first Thomas Ramsey to the present families must feel pride in the known history.
There are "ghost" tales also connected with the cemetery. Bessie Ramsey Divers, dau of Walter and Mollie, was holding her small child, Juanita, one night when a light appeared at the spring area below the house. It traveled to the window in front of the chair where Bessie rocked her sick child. It hung there for a few minutes and then travelled to the road and followed the road to the graveyard hill. It disappeared halfway up the hill. That night Juanita Divers died. She too lies in the family graveyard on the hill.
Fannie Woody of Museville is perhaps the only living person that ever saw the house. She described it to her son.
NOTE re the "Stone House" article below: Harry Lee King tells me that the house in the following article would have been the kitchen and/or "safe" house, providing protection from Indians who were in the area at this time. The house where the family lived and raised their children would have been a much larger structure and likely made from logs.
Stone House
From p12 of the Star-Tribune, Chatham, VA. Thu, Apr 7, 1983
The Old Stone House is a County Landmark that Has Disappeared
The Old Stone House, a landmark of NW Pittsylvania for some 170 years from about 1750 to around 1900. The old house was constructed by Thomas Ramsey, who came by way of PA from Scotland.
The rocks for the old house were hauled from a quarry on the farm by a blind horse. The blasting marks are still visible at the Old White Rock quarry.
Someone inadvertently threw a cherry seed out the door. It sprouted at the back of the house and grew into a tree. Years later, it began to crack the walls of the house. The Ramseys moved out and the bats moved in.
Although the Old Stone House has disappeared, the site was the Guy Ramsey farm located between SANDY LEVEL and MUSEVILLE, about a mile off Rt 40.
A. D. Ramsey, Star-Tribune correspondent for Penhook, has written an interesting background about the old landmark, and gives a sketch of the Ramsey family that built the Old Stone House and the offsprings that followed.
In 1763, Thomas Ramsey purchased from John Richardson about 200 acres of land on Rocke Creek in what was then Halifax County. Although Mr. Ramsey had earlier purchased land on Reddis Creek and other places, he lived on this land after this time. During those years and until his death in 1790, he raised 13 children. He was one of the few people whose will named books, pewter, and guns as valuables, so he was by those standards, a reasonably wealthy man.
On this land he, with the help of neighbors such as William Young (also kin) built the rock house. Using native rock, the house was a work of art.
Some believe that John Richardson might have started the home earlier, and this may be true as he was a blacksmith and wheelwright. However, the house stood for many years and served as home for Hailey S. Ramsey family also.
Hailey S. Ramsey was the son of Thomas Ramsey Jr and a grandson of the first Thomas. Thomas Jr served his country during the Revolutionary War and in writings, he left behind a very sad story of hardship and trouble during this period.
Thomas Jr lived most of his life in Franklin County, dying there in 1844. His son Hailey S. apparently came back to Pittsylvania County in 1813, when he purchased the land from the Thomas Sr estate.
Making the Rock House their home, this family of 12 children (10 lived to adulthood) lived and grew within its walls.
The house that should still be standing was destroyed by a tree. The tree grew between the wall, splitting the wall and making the house unsafe. The family then built onto the kitchen that stood a a short distance away, and the rock house was left to fate.
Over the yrs, as family members died, a graveyard on the hill from the house grew. Hailey S, Ramsey and his wife Esther Zeigler Ramsey both rest there.
It is believed that the first Thomas and his wife Frances are in unmarked graves. At least 30 unmarked graves are located within the area.
Over the yrs, Hailey A. Ramsey, son of Hailey S. Ramsey purchased the land and when he and his wife Eliza Bennett Ramsey passed away, they were buried in the family graveyard.
In about 1913, Walter Eugene Ramsey, son of Hailey A., and his two sons Guy Bennett Ramsey and Adolphus David Ramsey, fenced in the graveyard area. At this time, Adolphus Ramsey was abt 13 yrs old.
In 1927, Walter Eugene was laid to rest there, and in 1931 he was joined in death by his wife Mollie Rebecca Buck Ramsey. A son Roy Ramsey, already was buried there, having d in 1885.
Other members of the Ramsey family with graves marked are Angeline Ramsey, daughter of Hailey A. and Eliza. (One interesting point, on her tombstone, the spelling RamsAy was used.) Armistead Fullove Ramsey has triplets buried there.
In an unmarked grave lies Hailey Bennett Ramsey and one of his children. Also little Mittie Ramsey is believed there and many others.
Much Ramsey history lives within this area and all descendants from the first Thomas Ramsey to the present families must feel pride in the known history.
There are "ghost" tales also connected with the cemetery. Bessie Ramsey Divers, dau of Walter and Mollie, was holding her small child, Juanita, one night when a light appeared at the spring area below the house. It traveled to the window in front of the chair where Bessie rocked her sick child. It hung there for a few minutes and then travelled to the road and followed the road to the graveyard hill. It disappeared halfway up the hill. That night Juanita Divers died. She too lies in the family graveyard on the hill.
Fannie Woody of Museville is perhaps the only living person that ever saw the house. She described it to her son.
Nearby cemeteries
Ajax, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA
- Total memorials20
- Percent photographed95%
- Percent with GPS0%
Ajax, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA
- Total memorials20
- Percent photographed100%
- Percent with GPS0%
Ajax, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA
- Total memorials6
- Percent photographed83%
Ajax, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA
- Total memorials3
- Percent photographed67%
- Added: 17 Mar 2013
- Find a Grave Cemetery ID: 2488936
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