Needed: A New Family for Holcomb Rock

A new chapter for Holcomb Rock:

My children's father, Tom Berkeley, and I saved Holcomb Rock in 1983. We scraped the exterior paint, treated the clapboards with a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine before painting it, fixed the holes in the walls and the floors, added heat, added plumbing.

My children grew up there. Now at least part of the work and much of the work I had hoped to complete needs doing. The house is much too big for either of us, and is silent without the sound of play and visitors.

Our chapter at Holcomb Rock is over, and now we are looking for the next family for a house that has always had families and has out survived all but a few.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

My Transcription of Plat Information

Since the plat is hard to read, I've tried to transcribe the information.

Bedford County- Plat of  the division of Cold Camp

The above is a plat of a tract of land in the county, afforesaid, and .... upon the margin of the ... of the James River * Kanawha Canal, opposite to Holcomb Rock and Persimmon Island, and adjoined the lands of Nathaniel Manson, William W Major and James ..... and contained by ... Nancy and ..... 2491/2 acres. It being the tract owned by the late Palatine R. Tinsley, ... was surveyed and the house of ? late Lousia Tinsley, laid off b y Commisioner Hiram Cheatwood, William, W Jamjor and James Perrow in obedience ... order of the county court of Bedford made at the August 1842. The portion marked A of the 56 acres on which the Mansion house stands has app.. to Mrs. Harris and the balance of that portion marked B of 190 3/2 has laid off and assigned to Spottwood B. Tinlsey son and heir to the said Palatine R. Tinsley died. Surveys and dower laid off February of 1853.

Interesting on this- I had not noticed that the creek which is down by what is now called Fisherman's corner, right across from the actual rock, was called Coldcamp Branch. I once tried to walk the perimeter shown on this plat, but some of the markings are either gone, hidden or farther than I thought.

James Harris was the administrator of the Palatine R. Tinsley estate.


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