Middletown in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Old Hall at Belle Grove
When Isaac Hite, Jr. and Nelly Conway Madison of Montpelier were married in 1783, they received from his father a 48-acre tract that became the centerpiece of Belle Grove Plantation. Old Hall, as it is known today, was already in place at the time.
Until construction of Belle Grove's Manor House was completed in 1797, Isaac and Nelly made their home in Old Hall and it was here that their children were born.
Old Hall hosted the newlyweds James and Dolley Madison when they visited Belle Grove during their honeymoon in 1794 and it is thought to have housed the older Hite sons and their tutors in the early 1800s. Historical photographs and archeological evidence have shown that Old Hall was a substantial two-story structure set on a foundation that measured about 25 by 40 feet and that it had a steeply pitched roof and a sizeable cellar.
Excavation in the cellar and foundation area brought to light many early 19th-century artifacts, cutlery and ceramic shards, and also found ample evidence of a Civil War campsite which included belt buckles, canteens, and bullets. Only the stone foundation of Old Hall remains.
This display is a gift of the Hite Family Association
Erected by Hite
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #04 James Madison series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1783.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 39° 1.254′ N, 78° 18.258′ W. Marker was in Middletown, Virginia, in Frederick County. It was on Belle Grove Road (Virginia Route 727) 0.2 miles south of Meadow Mills Road ( Route 624), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown VA 22645, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 19, 2023
2. Old Hall at Belle Grove Marker
Marker is cracked and weathered.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A Rich Prize (a few steps from this marker); In Honor of Joist Hite (1685-1761) (a few steps from this marker); The Shenandoah Valley / Battle of Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864 (within shouting distance of this marker); Outflanked! (within shouting distance of this marker); Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove (within shouting distance of this marker); Plantation Slavery (within shouting distance of this marker); Enslaved Quarter Site (within shouting distance of this marker); The Enslaved Burial Ground (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Middletown.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Old Hall at Belle Grove (has been replaced with this marker).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker.
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 13, 2024
4. Old Hall at Belle Grove Marker
Marker is missing.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 24, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 521 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 24, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on October 27, 2023, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 3. submitted on October 24, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on October 13, 2024, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
