As I sit here typing our youngest is in our bedroom, refusing to go to bed. In an effort not to throttle her I’m doing my best to ignore her presence and type a new post. She is what doctor’s have referred to as “spirited.” If any of you reading this are parents and are currently parenting or have parented one of these “spirited” children then I raise my glass to you because that is the shit that makes a person drink.
Anyway, I got off track there. I just needed you to know the frame of mind I’m in and I apologize for any potential profanity (the above “s” word included) or threats of violence.
Now, how do I segue nicely into this relatively exciting development in the quest to discover the age of the house. I guess that was it…
Our Dovetail consultant made a really neat find about a week ago when she came across two newspaper articles detailing the fire that destroyed the original house at Sligo and the construction that followed. Both articles were published in 1888 which confirms that the first house burnt down in 1888 and the second house began construction the same year. The articles are below:
Article retrieved online. Free Lance, 21 August 1888
Article retrieved online. Fredericksburg Star, 12 September 1888
How neat is this?! First of all, it corroborates what the Ferneyhough descendants told me which is the first house burnt down in 1888 and the second house was built the same year. It does stand to reason that the second house was not complete until the following year giving it a completion date of 1889. Also, the fire broke out three times? How could there have been anything left? Second of all, there is an “ancient” brick somewhere?! I have yet to lay eyes on said brick and honestly, there’s kind of a A LOT of brick so it’s going to be like searching for a needle in a haystack but it’s worth a shot. Finally, we have a potential source of the name “Sligo” and that is Gen. Posey. You probably don’t remember but I mentioned him in my very detailed and very accurate timeline of past Sligo owners. He didn’t come across in any of my reading as someone important to the property but it may be worth another look into who he was.
That’s all I have for now. Miraculously, in the time it took me to write this the youngest is in her own bed and happily alive (though that’s solely because her father loves her more than I do at the moment).
Bringing Back Sligo 
6 thoughts on “Sligo Build Date”
EMILY ROBERTS
Doctors told me it was called “spunk.” Either way…cheers! An image of you looking for an ancient brick just crossed my mind, have fun my friend.
LikeLike
Janet Brooks
This is a link to other articles about Sligo that are in the old newspapers at the Central Rappahannock Library.
http://fbgresearchindxes.umw.edu/newspapersearch.asp?andor=AND&lastname=&firstname=&description=Sligo&newspaper=&page=&column=&datemonth=&dateday=&dateyear=&process=newsearch&B1=Search
LikeLike
bringingbacksligo
How do I see the articles? Are they at the library?
LikeLike
Janet Brooks
They are at the Library in the Virginian Room. They are on microfiche. The ladies that work in the Virginian Room are very knowledgeable and will show you how to find the right microfiche and how to use the readers.
I think the last article from 1899 about the “caged skeleton” should be really interesting…
LikeLike
bringingbacksligo
Of course! I went there on my very first day of research but came up empty handed. I think because I was focused on the build date and didn’t have time for anything else. The one about the caged skeleton could be a rumor that went around in the early 1900s that a soldier (Revolutionary or Civil War, not sure) was left in a cage to die and his mummified remains were found later. I will definitely be making a trip to the Virginiana Room and will let you know!
LikeLike
Pingback: Clearing Up Some Dates | Bringing Back Sligo