HR 364 — Commending Rippon Lodge Historic Site.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 24108365D I HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.

364 OfferedE March 6, 2024 N Commending the Rippon Lodge Historic Site.

TN Patron––SewellAgreed to by the House of Delegates, March 7, 2024 R ––––––––––O WHEREAS, the Rippon Lodge Historic Site, built prior to the American Revolution and currently located in what is now Woodbridge, is the second oldest residence in Prince William County and Dlaysplays L an importantWHEREAS, rolesituated inbetween preservingNeabsco Creek, the historyPotomac River, and heritagewhat ofis thenow Commonwealth;Route 1, Rippon L Lodge was built for Richard Blackburn by enslaved workers, with construction commencing in 1747;

E and WHEREAS, situated between Neabsco Creek, the Potomac River, and what is now Route 1, Rippon U Lodge was built for Richard Blackburn byfamily enslavedmaintained workers,extensive withland constructionholdings commencing in 1747Cthe andregion tobacco, and othergrew crops,wheat, andD the location of Rippon Lodge allowed the family to easily deliver their commodities to the nearby port in Dumfries for export back to England;

andandily Dto easily deliver their WHEREAS, Richard Blackburn was an active leader in the community and served as a colonel in the French and Indian War, and his son, Thomas, served as a member of the House of Burgesses and joined the local militia during the Revolutionary War;

and WHEREAS, in 1785, Thomas Blackburn's daughter, Julia, married the nephew of George Washington, Bushrod Washington, who later inherited Rippon Lodge and sold the property to the H Atkinson family;

and R WHEREAS, Rippon Lodge was subsequently owned by the Marron family from 1911 to 1923, when 6 prominent attorney and former special assistant to the Attorney General of the United States, Wade H.

EllisE and his wife, Dessie, purchased the 500-acre property and began extensive renovations that revitalized the home while preserving its unique architectural character;

andandve 6renovations that R WHEREAS, Admiral Richard Blackburn Black, a descendant of the Blackburn family, who served in World War II and the Korean War, became the last private owner of Rippon Lodge in 1952 and continued the preservation efforts begun by Wade and Dessie Ellis;

the site was listed on the Virginia LandmarksLanWHEREAS, RegisterAdmiral Black's daughter, Debra Black Decko, sold Rippon Lodge to Prince William County in 2000, and the Nationalproperty Registerreopened in 2007 as a historic site consisting of Historicthe Placesoriginal inhome, 1971;the Blackburn and Atkinson family cemeteries, and the surrounding 43 acres of land;

and WHEREAS, Admiralthe Black'spurchase daughter,of Debrathe BlackRippon Decko,Lodge soldHistoric Site spurred the creation of the Prince WilWHEREAS, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rippon Lodge toHistoric Site has served more than 4,000 Prince William BlackburnCounty andPublic AtkinsonSchools familystudents cemeteries,through andspecial theeducational surroundingprograms, 43field acrestrips, ofa land;traveling trunk, and online resources;

andtheand originalWHEREAS, home, the WHEREAS,Rippon Lodge Historic Site provides a vital connection to the purchaseearly history and heritage of the RipponCommonwealth Lodgeand Historicthe Sitenation spurredfrom the creationColonial ofera through the PrinceRevolutionary WilliamWar Countyand Office1700s ofto Historicthe Preservation;1970s;

andretation of the property, its owners, and enslaved and indigenous people from the WHEREAS, sincethe Rippon Lodge Historic Site also strives to protect the COVID-19Commonwealth's pandemic,natural resources by using ecologically friendly methods to care for the grounds, using trees from the property to mill lumber for restoration projects, and serving as a sanctuary for animals, honeybees, and other natRESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Rippon Lodge Historic Site hashereby servedbe morecommended thanon :the occasion of the 275th anniversary of the construction of Rippon Lodge;

35and, 4,000be Princeit WilliamRESOLVED CountyFURTHER, PublicThat Schoolsthe studentsClerk throughof specialthe educationalHouse programs,of fieldDelegates trips,prepare a 36copy travelingof trunk,this resolution for presentation to the Rippon Lodge Historic Site as an expression of the House of Delegates' and onlineinterpretation resources;in Prince William County and the Commonwealth.for its contributions to historical education

and / 37 WHEREAS, the Rippon Lodge Historic Site provides a vital connection to the early history and 38 heritage of the Commonwealth and the nation from the Colonial era through the Revolutionary War and 1700s to the 1970s;

andretation of the property, its owners, and enslaved and indigenous people from the WHEREAS, the Rippon Lodge Historic Site also strives to protect the Commonwealth's natural resources by using ecologically friendly methods to care for the grounds, using trees from the property to mill lumber for restoration projects, and serving as a sanctuary for animals, honeybees, and other natural pollinators;

now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Rippon Lodge Historic Site hereby be commended on the occasion of the 275th anniversary of the construction of Rippon Lodge;

and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution appreciation for the historical significance of the property and for its contributions to historical education and interpretation in Prince William County and the Commonwealth.