Isaac Coffman House

This house about seven miles Northwest of Harrisonburg and several hundred yards west of Wenger's Mill isn't so old, but it's an interesting one. It seems to have been built about 1860 -- just before the Civil War. The house is rectangular with gables roof and built of stone. A cellar, with dirt floor is under the rear of the house to which at some time a frame extension was added. The land on which the house was built was originally that of Morgan Bryan and transferred to Jacob Kauffman before sale to Joseph Kratzer in 1784 and then returning to Coffman ownership with Samuel's purchase.

If one explores names of Kauffmans on the deeds, one can trace back from DeWitt and Isaac Coffman to a Samuel Coffman who is widely thought to be the son of a David Coffman, though some trace Samuel directly to Michael Kauffman (below). Partly because of burned records it's difficult to trace back from David, born 1747 though some believe him too to have been the son of Michael Kauffman of 1714 who married Barbara Haldiman. If so, he was from a prominent Mennonite family. Shortly after 1800 he was baptized in the neighborhood Baptist church which was clerked by John Lincoln, the son of "Virginia John" (great grandfather of President Lincoln). This is the John Lincoln who helped Magdalena Eyman secure her dowry land (her air portion from the estate of her husband) prior to the sale of land from Adam Shank's estate.

Michael Coffman/Kauffman is credited by some as having been the first Mennonite preacher at Linville creek and known to have lived on property adjoining that of Abraham Brenneman. He is often called "Whitehouse Michael" after his church in Page. He was a well educated blacksmith. He farmed in the area until 1755 when Indian problems forced the family to return to Pennsylvania. He is thought to have returned around 1771. He purchased land on Linville Creek from Solomon Matthews. This land was located below Marshall's Furnace and near a mill close to the Mannheim property. The lands touched those of Thomas Bryan, Henry Shank, Abraham Brennaman.

Michael is also said to have had a brother Martin Kauffman, who married Barbara Stover (a daughter of Sarah Boone). The historical names are a little difficult to reconcile with deeds of the day -- perhaps because of German naming conventions where farmiliar and legal names were often different. Early surveys in the area were made to Christian, Jacob, Samuel, Abraham, and Henry Coffman. John Wayland, a key historian for the area, listed Jacob as having 460 acres at Linville Creek in 1789. In any case there is little doubt that these persons shared a great deal with Brennemans. Kauffmans, like Brennemans and Eymans, and had been among the Swiss anabaptist families who had originated during Medieval times around the town of Steffisberg near Berne in Switzerland.