Buckingham Houses: Bond Hundred
Bond Hundred, 2009. Courtesy Catherine Ankrom Glover Levering.
Bond Hundred, located near Katrine in Buckingham County, was originally the property of the prominent Christian family.
A description of the house in The Courthouse Burned, Book I begins, “Bond Hundred is believed to have been built in the early 19th century by Charles L. Christian, a wealthy land owner and planter, who is said to have given the land for Trinity Methodist Church in Buckingham.”
Later in the 19th century, the house became home to the Charles L. Glover family. On March 1, 1862, Glover volunteered to serve in the Army of Northern Virginia. Following the war, Charles Lindorf Glover (1841-1922) married Elizabeth Anne Christian (1848-1920) on November 2, 1870 and the couple made the Christian family house their home. The many children who grew up there included Mott Robertson Glover, the man responsible for the tragic death of Meade Hanes in 1913.
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Click here to read the details of Mott Glover’s shooting of Meade Hanes: Buckingham County Crimes: The Murder of Meade Hanes, Part I
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The entry in The Courthouse Burned continues:
Bond Hundred is a three story brick house. The roof, basement floors, and hearths are all of Buckingham slate. The bricks were molded on the plantation and then laid in Flemish bond style. The rooms are large and their wide windows provide views of both the Blue Ridge and Willis Mountains. Over the front door, written in Gaelic, is the motto of Bond Hundred: “Cead Mile Failte”, meaning: “One Hundred Thousand Welcomes”. After the Civil War the house fell on hard times. Acreage was sold off, outbuildings decayed, and the main house was used as a barn.
Many once prosperous Buckingham County families “fell on hard times” following the Civil War. Apparently, the Glover family was no exception.
In 1913, while covering the murder of Meade Hanes, the Richmond Times-Dispatch noted that Mott Glover came from the best of families. The newspaper called his father, Charles L. Glover, “a man of the highest type,” stating that Glover’s children had married into “some of the most prominent families in the county.”
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In the early 1950s, then owners Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Makelim embarked on the restoration of this beautiful house, using the original plans and materials whenever possible. The Makelims gave the house its present name. Bond was Mrs. Makelim’s maiden name and, by the mid-20th century, only 100 acres remained of the original 5,000 acre tract.
Coming next: The Christian Family Cemetery
slate river ramblings . . . . 
Praise for the Makelim family that this lovely place is no longer being used as a barn. I wasn’t quite expecting that portion of the article- history can be incredibly unkind to these wonderful homes.
Bill,
Many thanks for your comment. I couldn’t agree more. Happily, the Makelim family continues to enjoy this beautiful home.
Joanne
Hi Joanne. Thank you so much for your post on Bond Hundred. I always enjoy reading your emails and I was fascinated with the Shooting of Meade Hanes. My husband and I are the current owners of Bond Hundred and we are thrilled that you shared the history. I often wondered if Mott Glover was part of the same Glover family who lived at Bond Hundred. Thanks for connecting that for me. Here’s a little 20th and 21st history on Bond Hundred. My Grandparents were Clifford L. Makelim and Phyllis Bond Makelim and they bought the home in 1954. They did the major restoration and left the home to my parents, William Bond Makelim and Dale C Makelim in 1970. My parents continued the tradition of trying to keep the history while adding modern convivences. My Mom passed away in 2008 and my Dad died in February. My husband, Robert Jackson, and I live there now and plan to continue the legacy. We are the 3rd generation of Makelims living there. My husband and son work hard to keep the cemetery looking nice. I am looking forward to your post on that also! – Virginia Makelim Jackson
Virginia,
Many thanks for your comment. It’s good to know that the Makelim family continues at Bond Hundred and that your husband and son are maintaining the cemetery. More to come next week!
Joanne
Hi Virginia,
Your parents did a magnificent job in preserving the home and history. Having spent time there with Bo and his friends (Jim, Brian, etc.) in the early 1990s, I was fascinated by the past, and the feeling of the Civil War was excellent. I remember the graveyard on the property and the restoration work your parents did to the beautiful home. Now I understand what Bo’s middle name means and the history behind Bond Hundred. Congratulations on keeping the estate and its beauty in the family. All the best, Tim Spahr
Tim,
Many thanks for adding your recollections to the post.
Joanne