Then & Now: A damaged house in war-torn Fredericksburg

Like this blog on Facebook.
As the map in this post on the excellent Mysteries & Conundrums blog shows, scores of buildings were damaged in Fredericksburg, Va., during the Civil War. Union artillery bombarded the town in December 1862, causing significant damage, and Yankees later ran amok, pillaging houses and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Fanny White, who lived on Charles Street, described the devasation wrought by the Union army after it retreated on Dec. 15, 1862.

"What a scene met our eyes! Our pretty garden was strewn with cannon balls and pieces of broken shells, limbs knocked off the trees, and the grape arbor a perfect wreck. The house had been damaged considerably; several large holes were torn through it, both front and back. One [of our] rooms was piled more than halfway to the ceiling with feathers from beds ripped open, every mirror had been run through with a bayonet, a panel of each door cut out, furniture nearly all broken up, the china broken to bits, and everything of value taken away…"

For a visual example, see the left image at the top of this post, a cropped enlargement of a photograph taken in May 1864 by James Gardner. The duplex at 132-34 Caroline Street suffered significant damage during fighting in December 1862. An enlargement of the May 1864 image (below) shows what appear to be two Yankee soldiers on the roof of the porch while another man, perhaps another soldier, peers from a large window that appears to be missing several panes.

The Caroline Street duplex  also includes other evidence the Federal army long ago passed through: soldiers' graffiti. As the excellent Mysteries & Conundrums blog notes, there are plenty of other such examples in houses, churches and other buildings throughout the Fredericksburg area. See here, here and here.

For more Then & Now images on my blog, go here.

An enlargement of James Gardner's May 1864 image shows what appear to be two 
Yankee soldiers on the porch roof while another man, presumably another soldier, peers
 through a second-floor window. 

For sale: Fredericksburg house with Civil War graffiti

 TODAY: The town house painted blue at 136 Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, Va., is for sale.

Looking to upgrade to a house with a lot more room, perhaps something with a little Southern charm and a lot of history to it? And you absolutely need something in a really terrific neighborhood, right? We may have just the place for you. Of course, one of the negatives to the town house at 136 Caroline Street in Fredericksburg, Va., is that it was a MAJOR fixer-upper after it was heavily damaged by the Union army, most likely by artillery fire, in December 1862.

MAY 1864: 136-138 Caroline Street duplex shows damage from December 1862 fighting.
(James Gardner/Library of Congress collection)

Cropped enlargement of  May 1864 image shows broken steps and windows at 136 Caroline Street.

A cropped enlargement of the 138 Caroline Street duplex shows damage to the siding and 
brickwork,  presumably caused during December 1862 fighting.

When the bulk of the Federal army crossed the Rappahannock River on Dec. 12, 1862 to fight the Battle of Fredericksburg, Yankees ran amok, pillaging the town that once was the boyhood home to George Washington.

"Very soon the streets were filled with a motley crowd of men,” wrote Lieutenant Josiah Favill of the 57th New York, “some of them dressed in women's clothes, others with tall silk hats, curiously conspicuous where nothing but caps are worn; many brought out sofas, chairs, etc., which were planted in the middle of the street, and the men proceeded to take their ease. Some carried pictures; one man had a fine stuffed alligator, and most of them had something.” The 136-38 Caroline Street residences were probably ransacked too. (The Union army, by the way, suffered a disastrous defeat at Fredericksburg the next day.)

The Sentry Box on Caroline Street also suffered damage during the Civil War. 

... but let's not dwell too much on the past, OK? You want a house that has some charm in a tony neighborhood. Across the street from 136 Caroline is an historic house known as "The Sentry Box." A private residence today, the former home of Revolutionary War General George Weedon has been described as an "elegant specimen of late Georgian style architecture." Weedon once was mayor of Fredericksburg. This house, which also suffered significant war damage, has a ton of Civil War history to it, too. (There we go again, dwelling on the past.) The Union army crossed the Rappahannock River on a pontoon bridge near "The Sentry Box" and bodies of soldiers were buried on the property. (Don't worry; they've been removed.)

Views of Rocky Lane, the route many Union troops took into Fredericksburg after
 crossing the  Rappahannock River on a pontoon bridge in December 1862.

Need a bigger-picture look at the neighborhood? Here's how many Yankees got into Fredericksburg in the winter of 1862. Confederate sharpshooters made their journey quite hazardous. Rocky Lane is a stone's throw or two down the street from 136 Caroline Street. ...


... and here's where the Yankees crossed the Rappahannock on their way to wrecking the neighborhood. Click on the image to see their route up Rocky Lane.


Still not sure? Take the interactive tour to check out the rest of this spectacular, historic neighborhood. ...

A sun room, dual zoned heating and air conditioning...and Civil War graffiti. 
What more could you want?

... So what do you think? You want space -- this town house plenty of it. Four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and 3,000-plus feet. It's close to shops, restaurants and the commuter train. And history? It was built before the Civil War. That old battle damage? Long gone. But apparently there's still a terrific reminder of the past at 136 Caroline Street. As this real estate handout notes, "graffiti from Civil War soldiers can be viewed in multiple rooms." Sweet! This place can be all yours for $619,900 or perhaps less. (Hat tip to John Cummings of Spotsylvania Civil War blog for pointing out that the town house was for sale.)

UPDATE: As of May 17, 2014, the house remains for sale. Asking price: $597,000