The Dryden Farmhouse

The Dryden Farmhouse. . , The original portion of the Dryden Farmhouse was built in 1890 on the property of Winton J. Dryden and his wife Melissa V. Dryden. The building was a typical vernacular central hall house consisting of a hall running through the center of the house with a room on either side. The upper floor contained two bedrooms. The house construction employed balloon wall framing which was the common type of house framing until the mid-1950s. The floors and ceilings were wooden. Wood lath and plaster walls were used in the construction of the interior walls.

In July of 1914, Wally J. Dryden and his wife Rebecca F. Dryden purchased the house and the adjoining six acres from Winton Dryden. An additional ten acres were purchased for the farm and a two room addition to the back of the house was constructed. This unique addition was comprised of a two room schoolhouse that was moved to the farm by a team of horses pulling the building over rolling logs. These new rooms became the kitchen and the dining room for the house. Another small bedroom was constructed over the dining room. An open porch running the length of the addition was added. In c. 1930 the porch was screened in. The porch was completely enclosed in c. 1950 due to the addition of an indoor bathroom and laundry.

In 2001, after a public forum was held on the possibility of creating a historical museum promoting the history of Poquoson, the task began to locate property to establish a museum. In December 2003, the museum finalized the purchase of the fifteen acre Dryden Farm track. Extensive renovations were made to the interior of the building. A new HVAC was installed, the electrical system and plumbing were upgraded to code, a handicap accessible restroom was installed and extensive painting was required throughout the building. Today, the farmhouse contains a museum offering exhibits on the history of Poquoson and a gift shop on the lower floor. The upper floor is home to the Poquoson Historical Society research room and museum office rooms.

This Learning Station was made possible by a donation from Walter and Patricia Apelt in memory of Patricia's parents, Charlotte Dryden Smith, the oldest child of Wally and Rebecca Dryden, and her husband John Richard Smith. . This historical marker was erected by Poquoson Museum. It is in Poquoson Virginia