Nathan Dickerson Poole (1843-1912) built this incredible home around 1870 on land he inherited from his father. Nathan was a very successful farmer and a local tax collector, which clearly afforded him some wealth.
The home, which Nathan called “River View,” was built on land known in survey records as “Cider and Ginger” and “Resurvey on Three Springs.” Interestingly, because of its proximity to the Potomac River and Edward’s Ferry, the land was heavily occupied by Union troops during the Civil War (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. even described staying on the land in a letter to his mother in September of 1861). There were apparently even trench lines that were still visible into the 1920s.
The architecture of this home is incredibly unique for the Ag Reserve, with clear influences of both the Victorian Gothic and Italianate styles. I’ve seen some records informally refer to the style as “Gingerbread Gothic,” which seems fitting! There have been a lot of external changes to the home over the years (and interesting paint choices!), but the black and white photo with the children on the porch (I’m thinking from around the 1920s?) really shows how this home probably looked when first built. The structural details are incredible.
I haven’t been inside this incredible place yet, but I hope to in the future, so let’s consider this part 1 of 2!
