Near Minnieville in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Howison Homestead

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

1. Howison Homestead Marker & The Home of My Childhood Poem

Inscription.

Howison Homestead. . Howison Homestead Stephen Howison I 1736 – 1815 Stephen Howison III 1776 – 1862 “The Graves of the dead who rest from their labors.” Donated by the Howison Family 1991.

The Home of my Childhood. How dear to my thought is the place of my childhood It once was my father’s, but now it is mine Just under the lee of the Northwestern wildwood Where mother milked cows and father fed swine. No fashion or style e’er the building attended But sheltered with strong oak of the best The short winding staircase so easy ascended The sliding plank window that looked to the West. Here I when a child was protected from danger Here I in my youth was accustomed to roam Here often my parents have sheltered the stranger And treated the traveler far from his home. , There stand in the yard the patriarch cherry Where oft I have sat in the shade of the tree Where mother with butter and milk from the dairy Has feasted my sisters, my brothers and me. , The trees of red pears in the garden still standing Spread over the lilac and cover the rose Still bearing their fruit and their branches expanding Shade o’er the green turf for a place of repose. The trees of the orchard by storms have been broken And many have mouldered and gone to decay Yet, some of the strongest remain as a token The marks of antiquity still to display. The mossy old spring where I often have rested When father and I had wrought at the plough The bunch of green brambles where chickens have nested Were there in past ages and still are there now. My sister came there and I then did respect her Her flowing locks waving as she tript in the gale A sip from her gourd tasted sweeter than nectar Before she took up and went home with the pail. The oak at the spring whose shade has grown wider Whose limbs are extended, whose tops have grown tall The hickory tree where my father pressed cider Still bearing and dropping its nuts in the fall. , The pine through whose branches cool breezes now fan us In winter a covert, in summer a shade Have grown like the cedars of Lebanon And cover the fields which our fathers have made. The graves of the dead who rest from their labors I visit alone in the cool of the day For there lie my parents, relations and neighbors And some of my ancestors older than they. , For what the Lord gave He again hath exacted The souls that He gave He hath taken away The hulls are laid here, but the kernels extracted Like the fruit that has fallen and gone to decay. , ’Tis here I converse with my Lord and Creator ’Tis here I remember I shortly must die Recounting my deeds with prayer to my Maker While viewing the ground where I shortly must lie. , S. Howison.

Written by Stephen Howison, 3rd, born January 20, 1776, died March 1, 1862 “written in his twilight years.”

Howison Homestead
Stephen Howison I
1736 – 1815
Stephen Howison III
1776 – 1862
“The Graves of the dead who rest from their labors.”
Donated by the Howison Family 1991

The Home of my Childhood.
How dear to my thought is the place of my childhood
It once was my father’s, but now it is mine
Just under the lee of the Northwestern wildwood
Where mother milked cows and father fed swine.

No fashion or style e’er the building attended
But sheltered with strong oak of the best
The short winding staircase so easy ascended
The sliding plank window that looked to the West.

Here I when a child was protected from danger
Here I in my youth was accustomed to roam
Here often my parents have sheltered the stranger
And treated the traveler far from his home.

There stand in the yard the patriarch cherry
Where oft I have sat in the shade of the tree
Where mother with butter and milk from the dairy
Has feasted my sisters, my brothers and me.

The trees of red pears in the garden still standing
Spread over the lilac and cover the rose
Still bearing their fruit and their branches expanding
Shade o’er the green turf for a place of repose.

The
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trees of the orchard by storms have been broken
And many have mouldered and gone to decay
Yet, some of the strongest remain as a token
The marks of antiquity still to display.

The mossy old spring where I often have rested
When father and I had wrought at the plough
The bunch of green brambles where chickens have nested
Were there in past ages and still are there now.

My sister came there and I then did respect her
Her flowing locks waving as she tript in the gale
A sip from her gourd tasted sweeter than nectar
Before she took up and went home with the pail.

The oak at the spring whose shade has grown wider
Whose limbs are extended, whose tops have grown tall
The hickory tree where my father pressed cider
Still bearing and dropping its nuts in the fall.

The pine through whose branches cool breezes now fan us
In winter a covert, in summer a shade
Have grown like the cedars of Lebanon
And cover the fields which our fathers have made.

The graves of the dead who rest from their labors
I visit alone in the cool of the day
For there lie my parents, relations and neighbors
And some of my ancestors older than they.

For what the Lord gave He again hath exacted
The souls that He gave He hath taken away
The hulls
Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

2. Howison Homestead Marker
are laid here, but the kernels extracted
Like the fruit that has fallen and gone to decay.

’Tis here I converse with my Lord and Creator
’Tis here I remember I shortly must die
Recounting my deeds with prayer to my Maker
While viewing the ground where I shortly must lie.
—S. Howison

Written by Stephen Howison, 3rd, born January 20, 1776, died March 1, 1862 “written in his twilight years.”

Erected 1991 by The Howison Family.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Patriots & Patriotism. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1921.

Location. 38° 37.989′ N, 77° 22.916′ W. Marker is near Minnieville, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker can be reached from Minnieville Road. The Marker is located in a fenced in cemetery within the boundaries of Howison Homestead Park in Woodbridge, Virginia. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14716 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge VA 22193, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A different marker also named Howison Homestead (a few steps from this marker); “Let There Be Lights” (within shouting distance of this marker); Maddox Cemetery (approx. 0.9 miles

“The Home of my Childhood” Engraved Metal Plate image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

3. “The Home of my Childhood” Engraved Metal Plate

away); Bel Air Plantation (approx. one mile away); Minnieville (approx. 1.6 miles away); Carey M. Perkinson (approx. 1.9 miles away); Greenwood Presbyterian Church and Cemetery (approx. 1.9 miles away); Montclair Veterans Flagpole (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Minnieville.

Additional commentary.
1. Howisons
I found this link to Braehead Howisons interesting. My family are descended from the Braehead Houisons. James Houison left Scotland in 1832. He settled in Parramatta after his marriage to Ann Stark, also from Scotland. I have visited Cramond and Craufurdlands Castle. I would love to contact American Howisons.

Editor's Note: If you wish to contact Irene Houison Dixon about other Howisons, please add a note using the Add Commentary link at the top of this page. Thank you.

— Submitted May 6, 2010, by Irene Houison Dixon of Sydney, New South Wales Australia.

2. I hope to visit Prince William County in 2011, to see my Howison cousins.

Howison Homestead - <i>The Home of my Childhood</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

4. Howison Homestead - The Home of my Childhood Marker

Stephen and Mary Brooke Howison's gravestones can be seen behind the marker.

I am so happy I found this link, I am off to Scotland to visit Braehead, I have met the owner, Peter Houison Craufurd his two sons Alex and Simon. My Uncle was approached by a Miss Houison /Howison to take up her estate, he declined. the money was used to refurbish the old mill houses. I will be staying at Craufurdlands for a week to do research, a week at Nairn . I would like to contact the descendants of John/Stephen. I descend form James Houison 1800/1876, James transformed Parramatta
with his Architual skills. Email me: [email protected]
.

— Submitted May 17, 2010, by Irene Houison Dixon of Sydney, New South Wales Australia.

3.
My Father in Law is John McCoul Howison, and I know his ancestors were from Scotland, and I've heard the story many times about the bridge, and King James I, and I believe it was Jock that came to his aid? John has 3 children, named Martha, John Neil, and Stephen, and lives in a small town called Bogata. He is very interested in his Ancestory, and we have all visited the Homestead on Lee in Fredericksburg when it was a B&B. This was back in 98, and I felt this was his Ancestor's old Homestead. I was saddened to hear it was sold out of the Family after so many generations of ownership by only this Family.

I suppose some folks

Stephen Howison Gravestone image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

5. Stephen Howison Gravestone

In Memory of Stephen Howison who departed this life February 1st, 1815 aged 79 years & 1 day.
With faith in God the friend of man, he stood,
And sought their Earthly and eternal good.

are not as attached to their historical backgrounds? I cannot understand why many of the true ancestors were not notified of this sale, and at least given the chance to purchase, and keep it in the Family? Anyway, I shall never forget my stay in that beautiful home with so many interesting stories of the Howisons, and their struggles throughout the Civil War. The story of General Lee tying up his horse to the blackgum tree which still stands beside the Howison Homestead "Braehead". Elder John Howison is retired from The Foreign Service, and at 85 is quite active. He just returned from a trip to Chile with his Son John Neil. He loves to travel, and speaks 6 languages fluently, also enjoys writing.

Feel free to contact me if further information is needed, or wanted on John McCoul Howison.

— Submitted July 5, 2010.

4. A Howison descendant
Am a descendant (b. 1925) of Stephen Howison, willing to correspond w. others.

The late Marjorie Larrison privately published in the 1930's a thoroughly professional volume of Howisons-in-the-US genealogy, remarkably complete as of the publication date. So long as I am able, I'll be glad to do look-ups in my copy.

Editor's Note: You may contact John Howison through a note to the editor.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

6. Mary Brooke Howison Gravestone
In memory of Mary, wife of Stephen Howison, who departed this life October 14th, 1808, aged 69 years.
A Partner faithful and a parent kind,
She livd benevolent and died resign’d.

— Submitted October 4, 2010, by John McCoul Howison of Bogata, Texas, USA.

5. Contact requested with John Howison
Could you please forward my email address to John Howison as I would like to exchange the research that I have done on Houison/Howison in Scotland with him. Looking forward to his reply. Thank you for your assistance.

Regards,
Irene Houison Dixon Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor

— Submitted October 11, 2010, by Irene Houison Dixon of Sydney, New South Wales Australia.

6. Howison Family
I have just spent the holidays with my family the Howisons which now live in Newfane, NY. My grandfather Robert Howison, was discussing with me the family history which he traced back to the Stark Family and Scotland. Any one with further family connections I would love to hear about them.

— Submitted January 2, 2012, by Matthew David Gillmore of Gerrardstown, West Virginia.

Daughters of the American Revolution Plaque (located between the gravestones). image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

7. Daughters of the American Revolution Plaque (located between the gravestones).

Revolutionary War Patriot and wife
Stephen Howison
Mary Brooke Howison
Patriot of Virginia
Married circa 1763
Charles County, MD
Placed by Bill of Rights Chapter, NSDAR
November 2000

Entrance to Howison Homestead Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

8. Entrance to Howison Homestead Cemetery

The main marker can be seen to the rear of this photograph. A closeup of the plate on top of the entrance pedestal can be seen in the next photograph. This plaque was reported missing in 2017. Pedestal remains.

Top of Entrance Pedestal image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

9. Top of Entrance Pedestal

Howison Homestead Park
Howison Homestead Park is a 27-plus acre site that represents a rich piece of Prince William County History.
Known by the Howison family as The Old Homestead, this tract of land was deeded to Stephen Howison in 1780.
The cemetery on site will be preserved as the final resting place of the Howison family. Dedicated 20 April 1991

Howison Homestead Cemetary image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

10. Howison Homestead Cemetary

Entrance to Howison Homestead Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kevin W., September 12, 2007

11. Entrance to Howison Homestead Park

The Howison Homestead Cemetary fence can be seen to the left of the photograph.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 4,612 times since then and 65 times this year. Last updated on October 3, 2023, by N. Jozsa of Woodbridge, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on September 12, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.