Home Site – Nelson County, Virginia
The Belmont property land was part of the original land patent granted to Dr. William Cabell in 1738. Located at the foot of Findlay’s Mountain, Belmont was built between 1810 and 1814 by Robert Rives. Another Belmont property existed adjacent to Mayo Cabell’s property. See Belmont (Mayo Creek).
At Norwood take Route 655 for 3 ¼ miles to Route 722 then proceed north ½ mile. The house was about 200 yards west of 722.
Architecture
The square plan Flemish bond brick house with a hipped roof had two inside chimneys. By 1938 the original small porch had been replaced by a porch with six Doric columns. The front door had a fan shaped transom with side lights. It had six over six windows and six-paneled doors with iron locks. There were 11 large rooms and one small room in the house with four inch chair-railing.
Timeline of Belmont Ownership
- 1814 – 1834: Robert Rives (1765-1845) and Margaret Jordan Cabell (1770-1815), 1797 acres.
- 1834 – 1872: Lucy Shands Rives (1794-1872) and General Alexander Brown (1796-1864), 1168 acres.
- Belmont was used as a hospital during the Civil War and there is a Confederate graveyard near the house containing 25-30 graves.
- 1860 Dr. G. Harrison owned 1000 acres of the Belmont property.
- 1877 John S. Barbour owned 500 acres.
- 1919 – 1938: Piedmont Lumber Company
- In 1938 the house was still standing, but it is no longer in existence.