08/01/2025
The Rush-Miller House/Farm was constructed in two sections, both of coursed rubble limestone. The rear Federal section was constructed first, ca. 1810. The front two story Romanesque section was added in 1873.
The original Stone Bank Barn was built in 1909 but one of the foundation stones have a 1809 date.
The Stone Springhouse and Smokehouse dates to the Federal Period but only the Springhouse remains dating back to the late 1700's.
Leonard Rush purchased 287 acres in 1773 and was owned by generations of the same family, i.e., Rush, Mason, and Miller until 1919, a total of 146 years. Leonard Rush furnished grain for the American Army during the Revolutionary War and most likely had a log house on the property. His son William owned the property from 1788 to 1820 and built the present rear section of the house as his home. Captain James Mason, who led the Riflemen's Company, 5 th Regiment, Virginia Militia, during the war of 1812, had married William Rush's daughter Mary in 1809 and this farm was their home. Captain Mason was in charge of the Berkeley County Rifleman from 1811 through 1814, according to the Martinsburg Gazette. Captain Mason died in 1848.
Jacob Miller, who married successively two daughters of Captain Mason, Eveline and Eliza, had recieved a share of the smoketown farm but purchased the farmhouse lot in 1871 from Mason's son James and built the front section the following year.
The land was surveyed for John Ornlent or Newland May 5 th 1751 by William Baylis.
Ken and Tally Reed purchased the property from Margaret H. Spurlin in 2019. Margaret was a Master Gardner and designed the current landscaping around the home. She purchased the Home off of Prince and Dianna Dunn on December 30th 1993.
