August 20, 2015 / Joanne Yeck

Buckingham Houses: Moss Side

Virginia Historical Inventory, Courtesy Library of Virginia

Posts concerning houses in Buckingham County are always popular with the readers of Slate River Ramblings. According to Elizabeth McCraw’s 1937 report for the Virginia Historical Inventory, Moss Side was always known by that name and had been owned by the Ranson, Moss, Pollard, and Lewis families.

Mrs. McCraw located the house 1.3 miles south of Sheppards on Route 15, thence .1 mile west on a private rode. She described its unusual side entry through a one story porch. She noted that four rooms were added to the front in 1885 and that, with the exception of the original porch, it was “all in very good condition.” She went on to detail its historical significance at follows:

On the original chimney to the old house is the date 1808, and from dates in the family Bible one would conclude that the house was built at this time. Major Steven Moss came home from the War of 1812 and on Nov. 5, 1818, married Miss Lizabeth Ranson. They were given the Ranson home place and here Mr. and Mrs. Moss established their home and called it “Moss Side” which name it has always retained. Mr. Moss seems to have conducted a school here, and wrote some of the books used. There is an old Arithmetic here written entirely by hand and dated 1813 – 1817. By Steven Moss.

The old family burying ground is here too, but there are no markers prior to 1865,

Do any Slate River Ramblings readers know more about the school at Moss Side? If so, please comment.