Buckingham County: Manteo Post Office, Part I
Manteo Post Office by Margaret Pennington. Courtesy Historic Buckingham.
Patteson House by Nancy Faxon.
From time to time, a Slate River Ramblings reader contacts me expanding on a previous post. Such was the case when Nancy Faxon followed up concerning the murder of Curtis Branch.
To catch up on the details of the murder of Curtis Branch click here: Buckingham County Murder: Manteo Killing, Part I
~
The Manteo Post Office, where Curtis Branch was violently murdered in late 1911, was located in a store owned by G. W. Patteson. The sketch above and description of the property is included in “The Courthouse Burned —,“ Book 1. Nancy elaborated Margaret Pennington’s sketch of the store, illustrating the Patteson house as she remembered it.
The Patteson house sat adjacent the store, which was constructed by Mr. Sam Gibson in 1879–1880. Built of stone and timber, it was first used as a stable. Located on the James River, where a ferry connected Buckingham to Nelson County, the store doubtless saw a lot of traffic. Mr. Gibson died in 1911, and the property was purchased by T. W. and G. W. Patteson. Not long after, it became a crime scene.
Henry Patteson House beside Manteo Store before it was dismantled.
Pictured in BRANCH 1066. Courtesy Nancy Faxon.
Coming next: Buckingham County: Manteo Post Office, Part II
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Wow! I grew up running in and out of that store and Post Office. My great aunt Louise Horsley’s husband was postmaster when I was young. His name was Robert B Critz. It closed when I was about 7 or 8 and Martin Wright delivered our mail in his trust A Model Ford. Never heard about the murder so I will be waiting for the next chapter!
Faye,
If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up with the link provided in this post. Envisioning the Manteo of your childhood is a wonderful antidote to murder.
Joanne