It’s interesting to see the Allen house from up above. Thank you to Luke Reynolds for capturing these images. For me, the house really shows its age from these angles. Look at the massive chimneys! If you look at the closeup of the roof you can see the wooden shakers that were used for the original roof. We believe those wooden shingles saved the house from extensive water damage! Amazing when you think about it!
Who was Vincent Allen? He was born in 1760 in Virginia. He was the son of Captain Charles Allen. It is said that Captain Allen was friends with George Washington and helped form our nation! Vincent served in the Revolutionary war just like his father and older brothers. He was in Yorktown, Virginia on October 19th in 1781 when Cornwallis surrendered.
After the war Vincent met and started courting Mary Bowdoin. Mary is related to Thomas Jefferson. Shortly after they met, Vincent started construction on this house for his future bride. The house was completed in 1790. Vincent and Mary raised eight children in this house! Imagine that feat. And we believe the left side was the original 1790 portion, with the right side being added on sometime in the early 1800’s. Such an important piece of history!
