In 1749 he built a beautiful house known as "Thorntree". Amazingly it is still standing today. In the early 1970s it was purchased by the Williamsburg Historical Society and relocated closer to town.
Mary and I were so thrilled to be able to go and see this historic place built by my great, great, great, great, great grandfather!
To quote from a museum curator "in architectural structure it is a rarity...built in the English style with a great hall and memory work cornices and mantels."
"The house is in first rate condition and needs few minor repairs. It is amazing that the majority of the pine interior has even escaped paint. This would be an irreplaceable loss if this dwelling is not preserved for posterity." I am so thankful that it was preserved and is so lovingly looked after by the Historical Society.
The wonderful gentleman who showed us around told us that the woodwork was hand done by slaves in 1749. To try and replace it today would be astronomically expensive.
I love to think of my ancestors here in this very house.
From the history written by Robert Witherspoon, brother to my direct line James:
It was the first of February when we came to the Bluff. My mother and us children were still in expectation that we were coming to an agreeable place, but when we arrived and saw nothing but wilderness and instead of a fine timbered house, nothing but a very mean dirt house, Father gave us all the comfort he could by telling us that we would get all these trees cut down and in a short time there would be plenty of inhabitants, that we could see from house to house.
Building this beautiful 'fine timbered house' for his family must have given him great pleasure. Seeing it 266 years later certainly gave Mary and me great pleasure!
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