Black Goose Chimney recently completed the masonry work at the Rebecca Vaughan House in Courtland, Virginia. The first phase of the project, building a brick foundation for the house, was completed last fall. This spring brick foundation piers were built for the dairy barn and functioning fireplaces and chimneys were erected on each end of the house.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Rebecca Vaughan House, it is a 1½ story frame home located in Courtland, Southampton County, Virginia. It was built around 1796 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Rebecca Vaughn House is best known for its association with the Nat Turner Rebellion of August, 1831. This house was the last home where residents were killed by Nat Turner’s followers during their rampage through Southampton County.
The house, less the foundation and chimneys, was moved to its present site in 2004 and is located on the grounds of the Southampton Agriculture & Forestry Museum and Heritage Village, administered by the Southampton Historical Society.
The work was done with a mixture of classic and modern techniques to provide a look of authenticity while adhering to today’s codes. One of the main difference between the original and the new chimneys is that the new chimneys are lined with terra cotta tile, while the originals were not; this makes the chimneys safe to use.
The materials used for this project are period accurate. The mortar we used is basically the same as it was over 200 years ago and is made with natural lime; and period-accurate bricks were sourced off site. All materials for the build were brought in by trucks, which is a luxury that chimney builders didn’t have in the past.
We at Black Goose Chimney really loved working with this piece of history and look forward to starting our next restoration project, wherever it may be. Black Goose does all kinds of restorative work on historic chimneys; we can salvage original bricks to be preserved, maintaining a live artifact; or like this build we can source period-accurate materials. If you are looking to restore a chimney with care and authenticity, call 757-596-2298 for a consultation.