Bowman's Folly

Bowman's Folly, is a historic home located near Accomac, Accomack County, Virginia. Captain Edmund Bowman patented the land in 1664, the current structure was built about 1815 by General John Cropper Jr.,[3] who had been born in the house in 1755 (his mother being Bowman's daughter and heir). Cropper ordered it demolished and a grander building erected after construction of a hill to allow better vistas during the War of 1812. The current building has a 2+1⁄2-story, main block with a 1+1⁄2-story wing. The main block has brick ends with interior end chimneys and frame fronts on the north and south. It has a64 gable roof with dormers. The front facade features a Palladian window and pedimented entrance porch. Also on the property are a frame kitchen, now connected to the main house by a hyphen; frame dovecote, and frame privy.[4]

Bowman's Folly
Bowman's Folly, HABS Photo
Bowman's Folly is located in Virginia
Bowman's Folly
Bowman's Folly is located in the United States
Bowman's Folly
LocationSE of jct. of Rtes. 652 and 13, near Accomac, Virginia
Coordinates37°42′27″N 75°37′13″W
Area0 acres (0 ha)
Builtc. 1815 (1815)
NRHP reference No.69000216[1]
VLR No.001-0002
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 12, 1969
Designated VLRMay 13, 1969[2]

The house has the name of Edmund Bowman; he regretted his decision to locate at the swampy site in the 1660s (hence the suffix "Folly") after his son died of disease.[5] Although the house has been rebuilt, its name still recalls the pioneer incident.[5] The present house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Virginia Landmarks Register" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
  3. "Memoir of General John Cropper".
  4. Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission (n.d.). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Bowman's Folly" (PDF). Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 26, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2013. and Accompanying photo Archived 2012-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Federal Writers' Project (1938). The Ocean Highway: New Brunswick, New Jersey to Jacksonville, Florida. Works Progress Administration. p. 67.

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