Botetourt 250th Anniversary Celebration Fact: Lauderdale Mansion
The Lauderdale Mansion
Online sources give the location of this stately old home as Buchanan, Virginia. Locals would know it as the Mill Creek area of the county. It has been a well-known landmark in Botetourt County on Lee Highway since 1821.
James Lauderdale Sr. first bought 366 acres in 1749 on “Looney Mill Creek”. (Not to be confused with Looney’s Creek). The original family name was “Leatherdale” and eventually changed to Lauderdale. James “Leatherdale” Sr. is listed in 1783 in Captain Mill’s command of Militia in the Revolutionary War. James Leatherdale Jr. is also listed in the militia. Records show Lauderdale Sr. owned six horses, 16 head of cattle and six slaves at this time. By 1780, the James Lauderdale Sr. estate had increased to over one thousand acres. In 1785, a dwelling is shown on this original site and Lauderdale is listed as the owner; and undoubtedly was the builder as well. The first home actually known as Lauderdale was built in 1790. Lauderdale built the present structure around the original building.
Early records show James arrived at this location in 1730, when the land was still occupied by Indians. The mansion was built on a bubbling spring and it was near there that James is believed to have killed an Indian during an attack on the home. Eventually the plantation grew to 1200 acres. The Lauderdales operated one of the first paper mills locally and it was a valuable source of income for the family, and played a big part in the building of many early local structures. Slaves made the bricks on the site for the immense structure. One of these slaves, Pleasant Richardson escaped during the Civil War. He enlisted to become a Union soldier in the 45th United States Colored Infantry Regiment. After the war, he settled in Fincastle and became a property owner.
The home stayed in the Lauderdale family for two generations. In 1796, Col. Henry Bowyer bought 444 acres from Lauderdale, including the residence. Modern references to the mansion incorrectly give the date of construction as 1821, yet Botetourt County Deed Book VI, page 36 shows Col. Bowyer having purchased the “home” in 1796. The date of 1821 refers to the date of a major renovation of the property. The older portion to the back is actually the oldest section and the addition was combined with the original dwelling. As you can imagine, Lauderdale was the social center of the community and it is mentioned often as the site of galas, weddings and seasonal events. It was remodeled again in 1840, and yet again in 1926. The familiar Greek-revival portico most of us recognize today was originally a federal-style structure. Surprisingly, the colonnaded porch was not added until the 1926 renovation. Even today it is often undergoing reconstruction. The house is still considered one of the largest homes in Botetourt, with over thirty rooms of hand carved woodwork. We should feel fortunate that this gem of county history still stands, as many have been destroyed in recent years. The high ceilings, library and drawing room are considered to be some of the most outstanding colonial architecture in the state of Virginia.
Eventually, the property came in the possession of James Mundy, a Confederate Veteran who married Sarah Peery. They had one son. She died young and upon his release from service at Appomattox, he married local resident and widow, Mary Susan Rader Cherryholmes, the daughter of Benjamin and Harriet Rader. We are not sure what happened to the son from the first marriage but James and Mary Susan had eight children. James was an industrious individual, serving as a member of the Constitutional Convention of Virginia, Supervisor of Botetourt County and President of the First National Bank of Buchanan. He died in 1910 and handed the property to his son, Oliver T. Mundy and his wife Laura Rader Mundy. He too became President of the Bank of Buchanan. The property eventually came in the hands of John and Elizabeth Mundy who had eight children. John Mundy’s land holdings were impressive from Springwood to Buchanan, down Wheatland Road on both sides, and on both sides of Rt. 11 including the Lauderdale manse. Each of his eight children received a large farm from the estate. The Mundy and Rader families have produced many prominent residents in Botetourt.
This family were founders of the Mundy Truck Lines, a successful trucking and shipping company based in Roanoke. Another descendant of the Armand Mundy family, enjoyed popularity on early Roanoke radio stations as the “Mundy String Band”. The late Lois Mundy Firestone and Janice Coffey were members of that band. Lois lived on Country Club Rd and married Randolph Firestone. She was an icon in the Trinity Community, known for her love of children. Her late sister Janice Lee was equally acclaimed for the same attributes in was married to the late Dr. Everett Coffey, and they were beloved fixtures in the Buchanan community for many years.
The Lauderdale, Bowyer, and Mundy families had roots in this home and indeed have a right to be proud of their Botetourt history. They have now spread their influence and descendants nationwide.
In the mid 1970’s, descendants of the original Lauderdale family were fortunate enough to purchase the residence and have made many necessary improvements. We are thankful for their love of restoration and preservation. Preservation often has a high price. Sometimes, it requires relocation to another area or state, and a great deal of patience, appreciation and monetary investment. We have to make sacrifices sometimes or history is lost with the stroke of a pen. Once that happens it is lost forever. Botetourt is a better place because of historical structures such as Lauderdale that are still standing, and we are indebted to those who endeavor to preserve. The home with its rich history, was listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Sources:
Botetourt Heritage Book 1770-2000 courtesy of Eva Lois Mundy Firestone
Kegley’s Virginia Frontier, by F.B. Kegley
Written by Greg Rieley, Special to The Botetourt Bee, Photo by Cathy Benson
