Centuries of History

Centuries of History. Rippon Lodge Historic Site. , One of the oldest known dwellings in Prince William County, Rippon Lodge was built on land first settled in the 17th century., The original house was built circa 1747 for Richard Blackburn, an English colonist, land owner, and carpenter from Ripon, England. Only a few short years after father's death, Thomas Blackburn, later a Revolutionary War veteran and local politician, inherited the house after the death of his older brother. Thomas expanded the size of the Lodge around 1800, adding more space for the family., Rippon Lodge was reshaped and expanded in size again in the 1920s by Wade H. Ellis, Windows, a new front porch, two end wings, and other interior features were completed over the next ten years. As a result, the historic structure is a mixture of original 18th and 19th century construction, and 20th century Colonial Revival architecture., Prince William County purchased the property in 2000 and after extensive restorations, opened it to the public in 2007., Construction Phases , This plan of Rippon Lodge's first floor illustrates changes made to the house from 1747 to ca. 1930., The photographs on the marker include the following captions: , Top left photo: Women employed by Wade Hampton Ellis begin to renovate Rippon Lodge in 1923., Bottom right photo: Rippon Lodge today.