Shenandoah National Park Rappahannock County

Britton L. Atkins farm, Tract 142, Rappahannock County

Did you know?Grazing land was in poor shape from overgrazing

The 1920s survey

A 6-room log and weatherboard house, 20 by 29 feet, with a paper roof; a barn, 15 by 19 feet; 5 acres of orchard (apple, cherry, peach, pear, plum, small vineyard); no merchantable timber. 80 acres, valued at $490. The state paid $1,855.

Today

House sites and family graves are never marked. Pins show only public places, from USGS place names and other public sources.

Case files

Scanned deeds, surveys and claims, kept by the National Park Service (PDF).

AtkinsBrittonL_Rapp142.pdf (2.7 MB, PDF, opens in a new tab)

County court land file

Papers from the Rappahannock County circuit court’s proceedings to take the land for the park, scanned by JMU Libraries.

Atkins, Britton
The file at JMU Libraries, opens in a new tab PDF, opens in a new tab
Courtesy of the Rappahannock County Circuit Court Clerk and JMU Libraries, Histories along the Blue Ridge. Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0, opens in a new tab.

From the case file

A tall two-story clapboard house on a high fieldstone foundation, with a brick chimney and a bench beside it, surrounded by trees. Photo: National Park Service, Shenandoah National Park, case file AtkinsBrittonL_Rapp142.pdf, opens in a new tab, page 4.

Families of the park

Other tracts whose owners shared the name. A shared name doesn’t always mean a shared family.

Did you know?

Grazing land was in poor shape from overgrazing
The report noted that the grazing land was in poor condition due to overgrazing, except along the stream.
From the records How we know
Atkins' exception to the appraiser's valuation
Britton L. Atkins excepted to the appraisers' report, saying the sums allowed were absolutely inadequate, unfair and unjust; the exception was sworn on July 15, 1932.
From the records How we know
Appraiser's initial valuation of Atkins' land
The appraisers allowed Atkins $1,855.00 for 80 acres and a further $395.29 for 60 acres of land proposed to be taken.
Sources differ: the park land records at JMU gives “The appraisers allowed Atkins $1,855.00 for 80 acres and a further $395.29 for 60 acres of land proposed to be taken”; the county court land file says “Exceptions and Answer Britton L. Atkins. Clifton Aylor,'et als. , ete. , --~-----------Defendants”.
From the records How we know

Source: National Park Service, Shenandoah National Park, Historic Land Tracts.

The 1920s survey

Map of the tract

Case files

County court land file

From the case file

Families of the park