Spout Spring House (Stop K)

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Spout Spring House is a well-preserved parlor house located within Blacksburg's original 16 blocks. The two-story, three-bay structure was constructed in the 1840s and is a contributing structure in the Blacksburg Historic District. It was first owned by a saddlemaker who built his home next to Spout Spring for easy access to water. At the rear of the structure, towards the east, is a 19th-Century meat house.

Images

A saddlemaker built this home in the 1840s, selecting a location near the Scout Spring.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The Spout Spring House is one of the oldest homes still standing within the original 16 squares of Blacksburg. It was first owned by a saddlemaker, John Spicard. Like many other artisans in the area who depended on access to water for their craft, Spicard required ample amounts of water for tanning leather. He constructed the house close to Spout Spring, Blacksburg's main water supply.

The layout of the home consists of a central entry with an early porch that leads into the large room at the northwest end. The room features a brick chimney with a simple pilastered Federal-style mantel with square moldings. In the early 20th Century, a staircase with turned balusters and elaborate newels was added into the smaller southwest parlor. The vertical board-covered frame outbuilding at the rear is a meat house, where meat was cured with salt, which dates to the 19th Century.

Sources

"The Sixteen Squares of Blacksburg." YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB1zBWt4KVw, published by the Town of Blacksburg, VA, http://tobweb.org/WalkingTour/.

Virginia Department of Historic Resources. "A Survey of Historic Architecture in the Blacksburg Historic District Montgomery County, Virginia." Autumn 1996 - Spring 1997. Accessed February 26, 2017. http://dhr.Virginia.gov/pdf_files/SpecialCollections/MY-059_Survey_Historic_AH_BlacksburgHD_1997_WOR....