Home Site – Nelson County, Virginia
Forkfield lies in the forks of the James and Tye Rivers. It is located ¾ miles south of Norwood on Route 626. It is designated as part of the Norwood-Wingina Rural Historic District by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
In Feb. 1840, the house was built for Paulina Jordan Cabell Daniel (Widow of Judge William Daniel, Sr.) and daughter of Col. John Cabell and Paulina Jordan. She did not have the opportunity to enjoy the house for long, as she died September of 1840.
Architecture
The two-story brick T-plan house was built in the early 19th century. The original house consisted of six rooms, two halls and two brick chimneys. The eastern section is original and the western section was added about 50 years later. The interior six panel doors are pine and the front and rear double doors have fan transom and side lights. The east front is in Flemish bond while the rest is English bond. The spring house on the north and the greenhouse and porches on the south were added in the mid 20th century.
Timeline of Forkfield Ownership
- Dr. William Cabell deeded Green Hill and Forkfield to his son John.
- John gave Forkfield to his daughter Paulina (1780-1840) and upon her death, her brother Frederick (1768–1841) bought Forkfield from her estate.
- Frederick died in 1841 and his son, Frederick Mortimer Cabell (1802-1873) may have lived at Forkfield with his wife, Clara Hawes Coleman Cabell. Clara was living at Forkfield at the time of her death in 1901.
Additional Photos
Photos circa 1950-1960 courtesy of Pat Price
Photos Courtesy Virginia Department of Historic Resources