Timeline

1748
Blacksmith William King obtains patent for 400 acres that includes Parnassus Site.

1751
King leases, then deeds the property to John Nicholl, a "middling farmer."

1760
Nicholl begins leasing 250 acres to his son John, Jr., for £5 per year.

1774
Elder John Nicholl's will divides property between widow Barbara and four sons.

1780
Barbara Nicholl and two of her sons convey 150-acre tract containing Parnassus Site to Andrew Nicholl of Greenbrier County.

1783
Andrew Nicholl sells the property, including "all houses, buildings, etc.," to James Rankin for £300.

1790
Rankin sells the 150-acre tract to Adam Rusmeisel for £130. Rusmeisel probably builds a dwelling at Parnassus Site.

1809
Adam Rusmeisel and wife Rachel sell the farm to their son Christian for £260.

1809-1832
Christian Rusmeisel adds 34 acres to the farm.

1831
Rusmeisel dwelling appears on Claudius Crozet's survey map for the Warm Springs-Harrisonburg Turnpike. House is located within boundary of Parnassus Site.

1834
Christian Rusmeisel sells the farm, now 205 acres, to Thomas Holt. Construction of meeting house for religious and community functions marks beginning of village of Parnassus.

1834-1848
Thomas Holt improves property: tax assessments on buildings increase steadily, from $150 to $1,000.

1848
Holt and wife Minerva sell 205-acre farm to merchant William Kyle but probably continue to live there until 1850.

1851-1852
Sudden drop of $300 in the tax assessment may indicate demolition of dwelling(?) structure. Tenants are likely living on the property.

1853
William Kyle conveys 205-acre farm in trust to Benjamin Points for the use of his wife Felicia.

1853-1855
Kyle sells his mercantile business, moves to farm, and builds new dwelling worth $975 to as much as $2,000. Suit by David Baylor suggests Kyle made Benjamin Points trustee to protect the farm from creditors.

1863
Due to Baylor's suit, Kyle farm is sold at auction to James Trotter; Archibald Trotter later becomes co-owner. Trotters resell property to James Crawford and F. M. Young.

1864
Crawford and Young sell 205-acre farm plus 52 acres to William and Isaiah McFall.

1864-1879
Steady decline in William McFall's property and eventual bankruptcy. Isaiah McFall disappears from records after initial purchase of property.

1864-1865
Union troops may have moved along the adjacent turnpike, but tax assessments indicate no destruction of property.

1870
William McFall sells 125 acres to J. A. Hamrick.

1871
Further 0.25-acre drop in McFall land assessment. McFall possibly sells 0.25 acre that includes dwelling to Frank Harlow. Harlow's name is printed next to a house and saddle shop on 1885 county atlas map, but few county records found refer to Harlow ownership.

1879
J. A. Hamrick buys McFall's remaining 128 acres.

1884
Hamrick makes $500 of improvements to property.

1902
Hamrick sells remaining 88 acres of McFall farm to James Buckley.

1905
James Buckley acquires 36 acres from Harlow family, which includes Parnassus Site.

1909
Buckley sells his 88- and 36-acre tracts to J. W. Hevener, who conveys them to G. W. Hevener a few days later.

1916
Upon his death, G. W. Hevener's property passes to granddaughter, Elizabeth Peterson, who already owns 47-acre tract containing Harlow house and Parnassus Site.

1921
Elizabeth and her husband, W. B. Peterson, sell 124-acre Hevener tract and 47-acre Harlow tract to J. W. Fairburn.

1945
J. Wayne Fairburn inherits the tracts from his father, J. W. Fairburn.

1993
John Wayne Fairburn and sister Cindy Fairburn Lundy inherit the tracts from their father, J. Wayne Fairburn.

1994
Fairburn siblings execute deed of partition dividing their father's property.

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