07/14/2026
Saturday, Veronica and I had the privilege of touring the oldest home in Wi******er, VA, Abram’s Delight. That might sound like an odd stop on our return trip from Washington, D.C., but it one I’ve wanted to make for almost 20 years. Abraham Hollingsworth is known as the Father of Wi******er, VA. He is the grandson of Valentine Hollingsworth, who helped William Penn establish Pennsylvania. He moved to the area and purchased 582 acres (a couple times), in 1732. His son Isaac, finished the house and adjacent mill, in 1754. It was originally intended to be serve as a Quaker Meeting Place as well as his home. It had a wall on hinges from the ceiling that could be lifted out of the way to provide a larger room for the Quaker services.
So, why does all of this matter to me on a small piece of Ozark Mountain dirt, in 2026? It matters because I am a direct descendent of these men. Men who dared to live on the edge of civilization and kept pushing west as civilization caught up with them. These are men who knew George Washington and Daniel Morgan, personally. Washington was not a fan of the family, during the French and Indian War. As Quakers, they refused to sell supplies to his Army or anyone involved in warfare. They had softened their stance a little by the Revolution. Washington, and many others, didn’t understand the Quaker refusal to fight, with a few very notable exceptions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abram%27s_Delight #:~:text=5%20External%20links-,History,chosen%20to%20build%20the%20home.
