Rock Spring Plantation

Rock Spring Plantation. Reynolds Plantation. , Rock Spring Plantation, the home of Hardin and Nancy Cox Reynolds, is a State and National Historic Landmark. It is possible the house built by Hardin Reynolds is the first brick home constructed in Patrick County. Enslaved workers likely made the bricks used to build the house and outbuildings., Visitors to Reynolds Homestead are welcome to venture around the property to view sites of interest. As noted on the map at left, the original Rock Spring and the Friendship Garden are located within a short walk from the historic home. You may also wish to visit the family and African American cemeteries, as well as the tobacco barn., Also located on the property is a Virginia Tech Forestry Resources Research Center equipped with a laboratory, greenhouse, and nearly 800 acres available for research initiatives by Virginia Tech students and forest industries., Outlined in red on the map at left is a self-guided interpretive forest tour, part of Virginia's Link to Education About Forests (LEAF). Visitors are welcome to enjoy this one mile loop trails. Funding for the LEAF project was provided by The Ecology Wildlife Foundation, founded by William Neal Reynolds, II, grandson of R.J. Reynolds, and great grandson of Hardin Reynolds., Abraham and Polly Reynolds settled in Patrick County in the early 1800s and later purchased this property at the foot of No Business Mountain. It ecame known as Rock Spring Plantation because of the natural rock spring located on the property. The couple had two sons, Hardin William Reynoldsd who built his home here in 1843, and David Harbour Reynolds, who died at age 25. Abraham was a banker and businessman and by 1839, the Reynolds family tobacco business was thriving and the family owned a total of 1,080 acres of land including property in North Carolina. As their tobacco business increased, Hardin convinced his father, Abraham, to manufacture tobacco plugs on the property, thus a factoryand store were built near the house. Enslaved people worked not only in the fields and tobacco factory, but also in the house and kitchen. In addition to the cash crop of tobacco, it is likey the Reynolds raised other crops such as wheat, corn, and flax., At his father's death, Hardin took charge of the family business, expanding the business and growing land holdings to nearly 10,000 acres. His sons, David Abram, Richard Joshua (R.J.) and Hardin Harbour joined in the leadership of the business and eventually formed independent businesses. R. J. Reynolds founded Reynolds Tobacco Company, and David Abram moved his tobacco business to Bristol, Tennessee. His son, Richard S. Reynolds diversified the family business which later came to be known as Reynolds Metals., In 1969, Nancy Susan Reynolds, daughter of R. J. Reynolds, deeded 717 acres of land to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In giving the Homestead to the Virginia Tech Foundation, Nancy wanted the historic landmark to be open to the public. The Reynolds family also constructed a Community Enrichment Center to provide educational and cultural programs for area citizens and visitors.