Speed the Plough
National Register of Historic Places

Speed the Plough

Monroe, Amherst County, Virginia
Listed
April 29, 2007
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
07000391

About this property

Speed the Plough is a farm in Amherst County, Virginia near the village of Elon, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The farm represents a succession of farm buildings from about 1799 to 1940. Its main house, a two-story brick structure, was built for William Dearing (1820–1862). Dearing held about fourteen slaves on the farm prior to the American Civil War. The property was sold out of the Dearing family about 1915 and the land was converted to an orchard by the Montrose Fruit Company, abandoning the house and most buildings. The land and house were later acquired by Rowland Lea (1872–1960). His partner, George Stevens (1868–1941), built a stone summer residence, the Rock Cottage, on the property. Several other buildings have been renovated for residential use and comprise a small village in what are now pasture lands.

Location

389 Fair Lea Ln.
Monroe, Amherst County, Virginia
37.53517, -79.19144

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Speed the Plough

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Elon Village Library
Early Republic
1.5 mi
Hope Dawn
Industrial
3.2 mi
Oak Lawn
Industrial
4.2 mi
Bear Mountain Indian Mission School
Colonial
4.4 mi
Red Hill Farm
Industrial
4.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Lynchburg – Diamond Hill Skirmish
1864Civil War
7.9 mi
Hunter's Raid: Lexington to Lynchburg (Amherst County, 1864)
1864Civil War
8.2 mi
Lynchburg — Hunter's Failed Assault (June 17-18, 1864)
1864Civil War
8.8 mi
Battle of Lynchburg
1864Civil War
8.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Speed the Plough listed on the National Register?

Speed the Plough was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Speed the Plough?

Speed the Plough is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Speed the Plough?

The period of significance for Speed the Plough is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1820.

Can I research the history near Speed the Plough?

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