This approximately 217 year old house was built and lived in by Samuel and Mabel Timartha Hunt Lewin after they leased 317 acres of land in 1787 from Denny Martin (Fairfax) of Great Britain, nephew and heir of 6th Thomas Lord Fairfax. This land was a small part of a much larger amount (today it makes up 21 of the counties in Virginia) given to 2nd Lord Thomas Culpeper and seven others by King Charles 11 on Sept. 18, 1649. By 1681, after much litigation, Culpeper was in control of almost all of the charters. His daughter, Catherine Culpeper, inherited the lands and a few months later married Thomas, 5th Lord Fairfax. As was wont in those times, the man took over and the lands were known as the lands of 5th Lord Thomas Fairfax and later, 6th Lord Thomas Fairfax. We read that Lady Catherine was silent but did not appreciate her husband’s efforts.
The lease of Samuel and Mabel was for the life time of Samuel, his wife and his oldest son William and stipulated that “with all expedition” they should “erect and build” on the land one dwelling house twenty feet long and sixteen feet wide with a brick or stone chimney. Lewin was also to plant an orchard of 100 apple trees at least 30 feet away from the house and keep it well trimmed and fenced. Samuel Lewin was to pay for all land assessments required by the General Assembly of the State of Virginia, the survey, and charges for drawing and recording the lease. The yearly rent was 3 pounds 15 shillings. In researching, three other such leases were found and all required that a house 20’ x 16’ be constructed so it’s possible that there are several such houses around.
Samuel was about 38 years old when he built the house, having been born in 1749 in England. Parish record: 1 Mar 1749 Northampton, All Saints, Northamptonshire, England, showing birth date of February 23rd.
Samuel and Mable Lewin were this writer’s great-great-great-grandparents on the maternal side, having descended from their daughter Mariah, who married John Lawson. Samuel and Mabel raised 11 children in that house. It would be most difficult to raise 11 children in a 20’ x 16’ house, so it must have been during the arrival of child after child, that the house was enlarged because it now measures 46’ x 19’. Samuel probably increased the requested 20’ x 16’ when he originally built.
After the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), lands that had never been leased were turned over to Virginia. Other lands were to remain with the Fairfax heirs. However, one parcel of land amounting to about 160,000 acres had been granted to Lord Fairfax personally. In 1806, John Marshall, lawyer for the heirs of Fairfax and later the fourth Chief Justice of the U.S., and two relatives bought the Leeds Manor from General Philip Martin, and heir of Lord Fairfax, paying about 16,000 pounds for the 160,000 acres.
People who had leased the lands then had to pay rent to the Marshall syndicate. Most did, but some tried not to. They had lived long and worked hard on the lands; they had built homes and barns and cleared land; their leases had expired and nothing had happened so they felt like they owned the land. However, in 1833, the Marshalls brought suit and were successful.
The Samuel Lewin house was in Leeds Manor and was, in 1883, being lived in by son, William Lewin. In 1836, eighty acres, were deeded to William for a payment of $400. Although the land is much reduced, the house is still standing today.