Rasp
Senior Editor
Couple Raises Money to Preserve Civil War Spy's Estate
Couple Raises Money to Preserve Civil War Spy's Estate
The suburban sprawl of Northern Virginia has swallowed up many historic houses in the last 20 years, but Dave and Win Meiselman aren't about let Merrybrook, their antebellum estate that once housed Civil War spy Laura Ratcliffe, become a strip mall.
Merrybrook sits on three acres of farmland outside of Herndon, Va., and just 100 yards away from the kitchen window, commercial development is already under way. That's why the Meiselmans have turned to grassroots campaigning to get the money and support needed to preserve the one-and-a-half-stor
y house.
Last week, an open house gave visitors a chance to tour the grounds, learn the history of the property, and become members of the nonprofit Friends of Laura Ratcliffe.
"Our biggest motivation is that three antebellum homes were demolished in the last 10 years on this street, and Merrybrook is the last one left," says Terry McCarthy, the program director for Friends of Laura Ratcliffe.
The Meiselmans don't have to worry about demolition any time soon—they have a life estate—but they are busy raising money for the future of the house, listed last month on the National Register. "We want to raise our own funds now to ensure the survival of the house," says Meiselman, who has lived in the house with her husband since 1971.
Part of the reason they are so committed to raising their own funds is that the Fairfax County Parks Authority, which they hope will take on the house in the years to come, doesn't have any money for its maintenance. McCarthy says he envisi
ons it being a historic site that is primarily funded and maintained by the Friends of Laura Ratcliffe.
"We are trying to raise consciousness and bring more information to more people," Meiselman says. "We want to get people to realize that this is a historically significant property."
So, with the open house behind them and the next big event scheduled for September, when there will be a silent auction and catered dinner at the house, the Meiselmans and McCarthy will be spending the next few months seeking sponsorships and donations for Merrybrook.
"We've got out work cut out for us," says McCarthy, who has already printed hundreds of bulletins and flyers. "We're looking for any firms or corporations in Northern Virginia that might be interested in supporting the preservation of this home."
Merrybrook's oldest section was built around 1820, making it one of the oldest houses in Northern Virginia. Confederate spy Laura Ratcliffe lived about a mile from Merrybrook during the
Civil War and moved there after it was over. Ratcliffe is best known for her trek through mud and rain to warn Col. John Mosby of an impending ambush and for her close relationship with Gen. J.E.B Stuart, who wrote numerous letters to her.
Meiselman boasts that the "setting is just as important as the building itself." Aside from the farmland and nearby brook, the estate has 200 year-old trees, four horse stalls, and chicken barns.
But to keep her house preserved for years to come, Meiselman knows that there is a lot of work to be done. "Development works very quickly," she says. "We need to be prepared and have funds."
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John S. Mosby
Col. John Mosby and the Southern code of honor
Other Mosby websites
Couple Raises Money to Preserve Civil War Spy's Estate
The suburban sprawl of Northern Virginia has swallowed up many historic houses in the last 20 years, but Dave and Win Meiselman aren't about let Merrybrook, their antebellum estate that once housed Civil War spy Laura Ratcliffe, become a strip mall.
Merrybrook sits on three acres of farmland outside of Herndon, Va., and just 100 yards away from the kitchen window, commercial development is already under way. That's why the Meiselmans have turned to grassroots campaigning to get the money and support needed to preserve the one-and-a-half-stor
y house.
Last week, an open house gave visitors a chance to tour the grounds, learn the history of the property, and become members of the nonprofit Friends of Laura Ratcliffe.
"Our biggest motivation is that three antebellum homes were demolished in the last 10 years on this street, and Merrybrook is the last one left," says Terry McCarthy, the program director for Friends of Laura Ratcliffe.
The Meiselmans don't have to worry about demolition any time soon—they have a life estate—but they are busy raising money for the future of the house, listed last month on the National Register. "We want to raise our own funds now to ensure the survival of the house," says Meiselman, who has lived in the house with her husband since 1971.
Part of the reason they are so committed to raising their own funds is that the Fairfax County Parks Authority, which they hope will take on the house in the years to come, doesn't have any money for its maintenance. McCarthy says he envisi
ons it being a historic site that is primarily funded and maintained by the Friends of Laura Ratcliffe.
"We are trying to raise consciousness and bring more information to more people," Meiselman says. "We want to get people to realize that this is a historically significant property."
So, with the open house behind them and the next big event scheduled for September, when there will be a silent auction and catered dinner at the house, the Meiselmans and McCarthy will be spending the next few months seeking sponsorships and donations for Merrybrook.
"We've got out work cut out for us," says McCarthy, who has already printed hundreds of bulletins and flyers. "We're looking for any firms or corporations in Northern Virginia that might be interested in supporting the preservation of this home."
Merrybrook's oldest section was built around 1820, making it one of the oldest houses in Northern Virginia. Confederate spy Laura Ratcliffe lived about a mile from Merrybrook during the
Civil War and moved there after it was over. Ratcliffe is best known for her trek through mud and rain to warn Col. John Mosby of an impending ambush and for her close relationship with Gen. J.E.B Stuart, who wrote numerous letters to her.
Meiselman boasts that the "setting is just as important as the building itself." Aside from the farmland and nearby brook, the estate has 200 year-old trees, four horse stalls, and chicken barns.
But to keep her house preserved for years to come, Meiselman knows that there is a lot of work to be done. "Development works very quickly," she says. "We need to be prepared and have funds."
-------------------------------
John S. Mosby
Col. John Mosby and the Southern code of honor
Other Mosby websites