User:Wikipelli/Stirling (Spotsylvania County, Virginia)

Stirling is a 19th century plantation located in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Virginia. The primary building is a Federal and Greek revival style brick home built between 1858 and 1860 by John Holladay (1799-1880). The chief carpenter in the construction was Holladay's nephew, Tavener Holladay. The house is named for Stirling Castle in Scotland. Stirling was one of the last of the plantation homes built in Spotsylvania County before the outbreak of the American Civil War.

Design and construction
The account books for John Holladay have survived and can be examined today. They provide access to information about the construction of the two-story brick house. For example, an entry in the accounts for July 20, 1856 records the purchase of "Plank purchast at Willisis & Co. Mill, To 2 lodes 2,000 feet $20"  In another entry, Holladay recorded "Commence work on building" on April 20, 1858. In 1860 an entry in the books states, "Cash paid for building house to date.. . $2,714.79."

The house is five bay, with a hip roof and four interior end chimneys.

The house has a central-hall floor plan with two rooms on each side.

On the site of the plantation are a family graveyard, in use since 1864; three slave cabins; and a weaving house. The house has been owned and occupied by the same family since it was built. The interior architecture is largely unchanged.

History
The original entry porches, the width of the central hall, were replaced in 1912.

Stirling was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1989.