Bacon's Castle, State Route 617, Surry, Surry County, Virginia
Summary
Significance: The fine old brick mansion in the lower part of the County, known as "Bacon's Castle", was built by Arthur Allen, ancestor of the Claremont Allens, in 1665. It was referred to as "Allen's Brick House." During Bacon's Rebellion, Major William Rookings, Lieutenant Robert Burgess and Captain Arthur Long, followers of Bacon, seized this house of Allen's and made a fort of it. It was thereafter known as "Bacon's Castle," "Castle" meaning fort. On the 29th of December, 1676, a fight occurred here between Bacon's followers and men from the British ship "Young Prince" lying in the James River. Captain Robert Morris of the "Young Prince" claims to have carried the fort. In the County records we find depositions made in 1677, which tell of the seizure of Allen's house and the behavior of the "Rebel Crew" while there. At the time of the American Civil War, "Bacon's Castle" was owned by Colonel John H. Hankins. His son, James D. Hankins, was captain of the Surry Light Artillery, C.S.A.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-79
Survey number: HABS VA-75
Building/structure dates: 1665 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1740- 1750 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000849
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