Oldal 408 [408]
General William Madison, brother of the Presj¬
dent, is situated along the Rapidan River, at the
lower end of Madison County. ‘The exact date
of the erection of the dwelling is uncertain, but it
| is known to have been in existence in 1785, prior
to the separation of what is now Madison from Culpeper County,
in 1792. he house is one of the many homes the planning of
which is authentically attributed to Jefterson. ‘The plan of the
building, drawn by Jefferson, is still in existence. But the ac¬
cepted family tradition was to the effect that while Jefterson made
the sketch for the plans, three Presidents had a hand in the de¬
sisning—Jefterson, Madison, and Monroe. It was built for Gen¬
eral Madison on the occasion of his marriage, and remained in
the possession of his family till the close of the War Between the
States. For several generations Woodberry Forest was the center
of the social life of the community, drawing to its hospitable doors
many whose names were familiar in the early traditions of Virginia.
During the War Between the States it was occupied at times
by the Confederate, and again by the Union Armies, and was the
scene of lively skirmishing, as the various fords on the Rapidan
River, lying just below the house, were strongly defended by the
Southern forces. This was especially true during the winter of
1863-1864, when Lee’s Army was encamped between Orange and
the Wilderness, and the Northern troops were making every effort
to reach Richmond. |
The house and place suffered, as needs must, from their con¬
tinued occupation by military forces; outbuildings were destroyed,
shots penetrated even into the house; the furniture was broken and
[255]
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