The Ludwick-Swope farm : a historic structures report tracing the development of a nineteenth century farmstead in Rockbridge County, Virginia

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Authors
Swope, Caroline T.
Advisor
Fisher, Robert A.
Issue Date
1994
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (M.S.H.P.)
Department
Department of Architecture
Other Identifiers
Abstract

This project documents the Ludwick-Swope Farmstead's architectural development from 1833 until 1994. Technology, economics, and local preferences all impacted this process. There was no set year when the farm "appeared" in full blown form. The evolution occurred over many decades.House histories and county histories are common in Rockbridge County, but no research has focused on farmstead history. Court records, historic photographs, area histories, the farmstead, and oral histories were examined. Each source provided information on the farmsteads development. This information was combined into a historic structures report, which documents the findings and the farmstead's current condition.Complete farmsteads are becoming scarce and few people remember what structures were once part of a working farm. Although some museums have farmstead reconstructions, no attempt has been made to show farmstead development over a broad period of time. This paper was designed to remedy this oversight by documenting one farmsteads development through the past century and a half.

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