Morningside

Morningside - 2006

John Beattie brought his wife Eleanor and 7 children from the Carrs/Kerrs Creek area of Rockbridge County to Washington County in 1772. According to John's grandson, Madison Beattie, the family first “forted” in the vicinity of Glade Spring Church due to constant problems with the Indians. All 3 of John's sons fought at the Battle of King's Mountain; one son, John, died there.  In 1783 John purchased a huge tract of land from the widow of James Wood. Surveyed as 2,193 acres it was later found to contain considerably more. The land ran from Emory to east of Glade Spring. John built a log home for his family near a spring located just south of the current Hillman Highway between Glade Spring and Emory.

circa 1937 - courtesy of The Library of Virginia

Morningside 2006

Many of their children left the area, but of those who remained, Absalom received 250 acres in 1825 and William Beattie Jr. received 250 acres in 1826. Youngest son Madison, like his father before him, remained on the family farm. Madison married Martha Cunningham in the 1840s and had 3 children: William, George and Mary. In the mid 1850s Madison built a large brick home near his father’s house, on the land originally settled by John Beattie 70 years earlier. Tradition says the home burned the day it was completed and Madison started rebuilding the following day. The brick home was built with beautiful proportions. It is “L” shaped with porches on 3 sides and two entrances. The exterior has elaborate wood details under the roofline said to have been copied from Monticello. The home has 8 large rooms; the ceilings are 10 feet high downstairs and 12 feet upstairs. The inside also is beautifully detailed and includes a circular cherry stairway. There is also a cellar, which at one time housed the kitchen.

Morningside across the fields - 2006

William lived to almost 100 years of age, enjoying the last of them in his son’s beautiful home. In 1857 he deeded Madison the 775 acres of land on which he and Madison lived. William’s 1860 will also left Madison all the farming utensils, various farm animals and other items.

Madison and Martha’s eldest son William died unmarried in 1881; son George married and lived in the brick home for several years before purchasing the Robert Edmondson home (see page). On Madison’s death in 1885 George received the eastern part of the land and his sister Mary McKinney received the balance which included the brick home. She and her husband owned the home until about 1925. They kept and trained race horses and built a race track on the property below the home. The home was beautifully furnished and they entertained often. In 1925 the Bell family purchased the home. They owned it until 1937 when it was bought by the Aringtons who named the house “Morningside”.

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