Laurel Hill - Birthplace of J.E.B. Stuart - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

In 1817, Elizabeth Pannill at the age of 16 married Archibald Stuart. Archibald, age 22 was just then beginning a career in politics and in law. After the marriage the family lived in Campbell County Virginia where Archibald was elected to the state legislature for the first time. In the ensuing four years, the Stuarts had produced three daughters and a son, none of whom were born on the Patrick County property. By October of 1823, Archibald had journeyed to Patrick County where he was granted a license to practice law, and may have begun arrangements to bring his family to Patrick County.
It is not certain just when construction started on the home that was to be called Laurel Hill, however most agree that it was completed by 1830. It was in this home that the first child of Laurel Hill was born, William Alexander Stuart. Six more children were to see the first light of day at Laurel Hill including the seventh child and youngest surviving son, James Ewell Brown Stuart, who was born at eleven a.m. on the 6th of February 1833.

The Laurel Hill home has been described as a comfortable, unpretentious farmhouse Unfortunately the home was completely destroyed by fire in the winter of 1847-48, and no contemporary detailed descriptions of the house have survived. James himself in a later letter described the fire as a "sad disaster". After the fire, Archibald along with his son Dr. John Dabney continued to live in the outbuilding that had served as the family kitchen for several years thereafter. Archibald passed away in 1855 and was buried at Laurel Hill, and remained there until 1952 when he was moved to the Elizabeth Cemetery in Saltville, Virginia to lie beside his wife.

Today, the site of Laurel Hill is preserved in a park like setting with only the two cemeteries remaining. Concrete pylons outline the site of the original house and kitchen. The original Stuart Family Cemetery remains near the home site, as does the servant’s cemetery.
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Type of site: Other Address: 1091 Ararat Highway Ararate, Va. United States 24076 Phone Number: 276-251-1833 Admission Charged: No Charge Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: Laurel Hill is five miles from Mount Airy, NC and twenty-five miles from Stuart, VA. From Stuart, Virginia take Route 8 (Salem Hwy) South to 103 West (Dry Pond/Claudville Hwy) turn right proceed to 773 (Ararat Hwy) turn right. Proceed on Laurel Hill will be several miles on the right. If you reach the North Carolina/Virginia state line turn around and proceed back one mile. Laurel Hill will be on the left. From Mount Airy take Riverside Drive (Highway 104) North back out of town ("Highway" is a designator given this road by the states...it is actually a two-lane mountain road with plenty of traffic and curves, so be careful!). Cross the State Line into Virginia. Ararat Highway (Highway 773). Laurel Hill is about a mile ahead, on the left.

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