Edward Hart, son of John Hart who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, purchased the house standing here in 1795. Col. David Goff, a prominent Beverly lawyer, purchased it in 1830, and added the larger front portion of the house, possibly with Lemuel Chenoweth as the builder.
A colonel in the Virginia militia, Goff was an active supporter of the Confederacy and was instrumental in organizing the Confederate build-up in Beverly during the earliest days of the war. On the day of the Battle of Rich Mountain, Colonel Goff together with his family fled south for safety.
The vacated house was used as an official U.S. Army hospital during the war. Extensive graffiti on the walls of the house testify to this occupation.
"Beverly Union Hospital"
Hand lettered sign on front room wall.
This distinguished five-bay Federal style house has 6/6 windows with a central tripartite window on the second floor. The entrance door has decorative sidelights and divided transom, and the cornice has decorative scroll brackets. The broad porch with paneled columns wrapping around the front and both sides of the house was an early 20th century addition; most other add-ons have been removed in recent restoration work, leaving the house closer to its 19th century appearance. The original carriage house and tack room still stand behind it.
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