Warrenton in Fauquier County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Brentmoor
Spilman-Mosby House
John Singleton Mosby bought the house from Keith in 1875. Mosby gained fame during the Civil War for his daring exploits behind Union lines. His Partisan Rangers (43rd Battalion, Virginia Cavalry) used guerilla tactics - swift, nighttime attacks and daylight raids against trains and wagon trains - to challenge Union control of Northern Virginia. Mosby estimated that his 800 men kept 30,000 Union soldiers away from the front lines. He practiced law here after the war. When his wife, Pauline Clarke Mosby, died after giving birth in 1876, he sold his home in 1877 to Eppa Hunton. Mosby and his family are buried in the Warrenton Cemetery.
Hunton, a lawyer and member of the Virginia secession convention, was elected colonel of the 8th Virginia Infantry, then promoted to brigadier general after Gettysburg. He served with distinction at 1st Manassas, Gaines's Mill, and Glendale, and his brigade played a prominent role at Wilderness, Cold Harbor and Petersburg. He was captured at Sayler's Creek on April 6, 1865. Hunton moved to Warrenton after the war and practiced law. He served four terms as U.S. congressman, 1873-1881, and three years as a U.S. senator, 1892-1895. He was the only Southern member of the Electoral Commission that decided the disputed 1876 Hayes-Tilden presidential election. Hunton owned Brentmoor until 1902.
(Sidebar): Architect Andrew Jackson Downing considered the Italian Villa style a "simple, rational, convenient, and economic dwelling for the southern part of the Union." In his book, The Architecture of Country Homes (1850), Downing offered a design resembling Brentmoor, now considered a classic example of the Italian Villa style.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1724.
Location. 38° 42.726′ N, 77° 47.429′ W. Marker is in Warrenton, Virginia, in Fauquier County. Marker is on North Calhoun Street, on the right when traveling north. Located in the Warrenton Visitors Center parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Warrenton VA 20188, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Brentmoor: The Spilman-Mosby House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Railroad Caboose (approx. ¼ mile away); The Turntable (approx. ¼ mile away); Hot Lead Line-O-Type (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Fauquier Times-Democrat (approx. 0.3 miles away); John Marshall (approx. 0.3 miles away); Warrenton (approx. 0.3 miles away); World War II Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Warrenton.
More about this marker. In the lower left is a photograph of the Mosby House, c. Late 1800's. from the Fauquier Times-Democrat Archives. Across the upper portion of the marker are portraits of Judge Edward M. Spilman, James Keith, John S. Mosby (postwar photo), Pauline Clarke Mosby (before 1876), and Eppa Hunton (postwar photo).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,366 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 16, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4. submitted on February 10, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 5. submitted on February 13, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. 6. submitted on February 10, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.