PHOTOGRAPHS
FROM THE REV. JOHN ROADS MEMORIAL
SITE
NEAR LURAY, VIRGINIA
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Color Photos taken by Sally & Don Clark May
1999
Black & White Photos from Books
"Old Homes of Page Cnty, Va by Jennie Kerchoff"
and
"Page, The County of Plenty"
.
THE JOHN ROADS MEMORIAL
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STANDING BEHIND THE REV JOHN ROADS MEMORIAL
Sally & Donald Clark and Ken
Sallinger
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Sally Sallinger Clark; Gary Bauserman;Ken
Sallinger
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Natural Spring used by the John Roads Family near the Shenandoah River.
Springs like this one were used in the basements of the homes. Basements
were also called "Forts" as a defense against attacks by Indians.This spring
was within the basement of the John Roads home--see the picture to the
right. The spring in the basement was used for drinking water and
for keeping items cool---such as butter and cream. Also, the building behind
the photo's above is called a Spring House where water passes over rocks
providing refrigeration for perishables.
Ruins of fireplace from the house that once stood
on the site of the Rev John Roads property. The house burned to the
ground in 1992. |
Fireplace in this house is much like that in the
house that once stood on the Rev John Roads property and burned. |
Fort Rhodes or Hope Farm pictured on the right below was built nearly
like Fort Egypt shown on the left. It sits amid the foothills of
the Massanutten near the banks of the Shenandoah River and is one of the
Valleys best known landmarks. The house was burned by Indians during
the 1764 masscre and rebuilt in 1766 by Rev. Roads grandson, John Roads
II. The rebuilt house burned to the ground in 1992. Fort Egypt
was the home of Jacob Strickler who had two descendants that married children
Of Rev Roads. (Joseph married Mary Strickler and Ann married Benjamin
Strickler). See the map below showing the two homes being about five
miles apart. The Rhodes home in those days was typical, having a
pioneer log cabin atop a fireproof fortified cellar with a spring, ammunition
and stores for resisting Indian raids. The Rhodes house was constructed
with huge hand-hewn logs with double chimneys. The logs were dovetailed
together at the corners and chinked with mortar. The interior is
much as it must have been in 1764 when the meals were prepared over an
open ;fire in the fireplace, which was the center of family life.(Comments
obtained from book "Old Homes of Page County, Va.").
Fort Egypt, original home of Jacob Strickler
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Fort Rhodes, home of John Roads
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It appears that the old tree stump in the colored picture is from the
tree shown in the black and white picture. Notice the remains of the fireplace
in the colored photo. The valley behind the house is looking towards the
Shenandoah River.
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Another view of the homesite of Rev John
Roads showing the remains of the fireplace and the tree stump.
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The map below shows Fort Egypt and
Fort Rhodes in relationship to Luray, Virginia.
(map is copied from book "A Short History of Page County,
Va by Harry Strickler)
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Interior of Fort Egypt Basement
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Interior of Fort Roads Basement
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Interior of Fort Egypt
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Interior of Fort Egypt
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Interior of Fort Rhodes
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.
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