Chrisman House
5341 Shaver Mill Road, Linville N by Shaver Mill Rd (Rt. 780).

This is one of the oldest estates at Linville Creek.The two-story brick structure was probably built around 1787. The limestone structure has gables, a three-bay facade, and side wings. Shaver Mill was located southeast of the house. Very old photographs show that a log dwellling was located a few feet to the south of the main house with attached stone kitchen.

In 1746, William Lenvell, who had just purchased the lands of Hite and company, sold to Jacob Chrisman Sr. 500 acres on Linville Creek -- at the same time he was selling large lots to Morgan Bryan and George Bowman. The deeds recording these transactions seem to be the first use of the name "Lenivell (Linville) Creek". Practically nothing is known of Jacob Chrisman Sr. prior to 1732, though he was a member of the first settlement west of the Blue Ridge led by Jost Hite in that year. Chrisman settled south of Winchester where he brought Magdalena, the daughter of Jost Hite. Jacob Sr. married Jost Hite's daughter near Germantown and Philadelphia around 1728, before moving into Virginia in 1732. His residence, which still stands, was 40 miles north of Broadway and was a Methodist camp meeting location. Jacob's will, recorded in 1777, left much land, many slaves, and a considerable personal estate to sons George and Henry. The will identifies his sons as Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, and Isaac.

The Jacob who build this house is likely Jacob Jr. and a brother of George Chrisman; son of one of the first founders of the area. This Jacob was deceased by the 1815 property inventory, though his estate lands remained somewhat intact at Linville Creek. It's believed that while he had retained this property, he had moved to West Virginia area and died in 1809.

The name of George Chrisman and John, likely a son of his, appear in many deeds involving Eyman, Shanks, and Brennemans. George, for instance, was the source of the Abraham Brenneman land purchase in 1810 on which a Brennneman home was constructed. George Chrisman seems to have been a militia leader during the revolution for people in the Edom neighborhood, while Abraham Lincoln, grandfather of the president seemed to coordinate musters a mile or two to the north.

As of 1815, there were a number of parcels in Rockingham owned by George, two Jacobs, and a John Chrisman. Most of these had properties on Linville Creek or off Joe's Run. Census for 1810 had shown a George, Charles, John and Jacob Chrisman -- all slave owners.