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Rock Stop Farm 

Rappahannock Academy, Virginia

120 Acres :  About 1,300 feet on the River featuring both low and high bank river frontage, and a uniquely spectacular house site with panoramic views overlooking the river and river valley.

 Details at the icon "River Bluff", above. 

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Why Rock Stop Farm

An idyllic 18th century farm:  Fields, Wonderful Hardwood Forest, Stream Valley, and River Frontage.

 Enjoy; Invest; Create A Legacy

Boat, Hunt; Fish, Nature Walks, Cruise the River:  Create Memories

Frontage on the Rappahannock River   

Cruise the Rappahannock River, a magical river valley of history and beauty; on the river pass picturesque farms, soaring bluffs, stately historic homes, and marshes with waterfowl and majestic eagles.

Above, the "Big Picture"

Rock Stop is at an elevated plateau, dominating a bend in the Rappahannock River.  The plateau is dissected from another plateau across an unnamed creek, which forms a very unique stream valley. Elevation changes are both gentle and abrupt, making the landscape fascinating in terms of aesthetics and the ability to surprise and inspire:  This is a property for the person with an affinity for nature and contemplation and/or just plain hunting and fishing.

Across the river is Cleve Marsh, a huge wetland, which cannot be built upon. Further up river, Senator Mark Warner owns a farm/vineyard.  The Caroline County portion of the valley is designated a "Resource Sensitive Area" and zoned one house per 25 acres (except family subdivisions at two plus acres).

Across the creek, which is on Rock Stop, is the boundary for Haymount, a planned community; but the "Open Space" component is between Rock Stop and "Mount Swamp Creek", and has been formally and legally proffered as open space.  Any questions can be directed to the Caroline County office of Planning and Community Development (804.633.4303). 

Conservation Easements might generate federal tax deductions and state tax credits; Restoration of the house might generate state tax credits if used as a personal residence.

OR, if used for income purposes, money spent on Restoration of the house , possible federal and state tax credits. Please call for a broad view of the issues and contact competent legal or tax advise for details.  Estate planning benefits might be realized as well, subject to legal and tax advise.

Backs up to Haymont open space of about 600 acres.

The open space component of Haymont is across Mount Swamp Creek, shown in blue on the above map.

Rural - Private - but near the City
Zoning for the Property and the immediate area is Resource Protection ("RP") with a Resource Sensitive Area ("RSA") overlay district. Overall, densities are one house per 25 acres; although a family subdivision allows for less restrictive density.

It should be noted that the proposed neo-traditional town of Haymont is across the creek and has proffered about 800 acres next to Rock Stop as open space.  Thus, with the other lands the backyard or open space is very large.  Also, please go to the icon "Location" for more details about the neighborhood.

Details and any questions may be addressed by Caroline County Department of Planning at:  804.633.4303.  Located at Hicks Landing Road, on Caroline County Tax Map 11, as Parcels 27 and 2-A.
 

1722 - Richard Buckner secured title to 4,500 acres along the Mattaponi-Rappahannock watershed, and after 1727 another 100 acres adjacent to the larger tract.  He was of the second generation of his family to hold land in the vicinity.  Buckner's Neck is still shown on charts of the Rappahannock River just north of Port Royal.  Voters in Caroline County after its formation in 1727 elected Richard Buckner as one of its first two Burgesses at Williamsburg, where he became Clerk of the House of Burgesses in the General Assembly.  In that body Buckner often sided with plain people rather than with the aristocrats, even when he was a member of the powerful Commission on Courts of Justice.  Richard Buckner died in 1733/34, son of John Buckner.  The fine old house known as Rock Stop, presently the home of Mrs. Philip St. George Cocke, Rappahannock Academy, occupies land formally held by the Buckner family, where several unmarked Buckner graves are located nearby. 

SOURCE:   pp 20-21; Fall, Ralph E., 1982. HIDDEN VILLAGE, PORT ROYAL, VIRGINIA 1744-1981, McClure Printing Co., Verona, VA.

To the best of the owner's knowledge there is no evidence of the Buckner graves. Per the article, Buckner owned over 4,500 acres.

Tradition holds that the first unit of Rock Stop was built in 1791 and the physical evidence tends to justify this tradition.  The builder of the original residence at Rock Stop is unknown.  In the earliest Colonial Deed Books (1839) it was the property of Champe Brokenb[brough] Thornton.  Thornton lived in Port Royal and never resided at Rock Stop except during the Civil War when he moved his family to the plantation for safekeeping after the commander of the Yankee gunboat threatened to shell the town.

In 1866 Champe Bronken[brough] Thronton conveyed Rock Stop to his son, Champe Broken[brough] Thornton, Jr.  In time, Thornton, Jr. sold the property to the Motley family, who resided there for many years.  Before World War II the estate passed to Helen Hull Jacobs, the tennis champion, and later officer in charge of the physical education program in the Waves.  Rock Stop is today the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Dennis.

Source:  Author unknown, 1957. Caroline Historical Guide.