Mannheim
4713 Wengers Mill Road, Linville, Va 22834

This property serves as an example of 18th century farm life and the institution of slavery, which was not as widespread in Rockingham County as in central and eastern Virginia.  Architecturally, the Mannheim house represents the Germanic influence. Built in 1750 with a massive central chimney, this two story house displays fine Germanic craftsmanship. The property also includes several examples of outbuildings, including a springhouse, icehouse, and slave quarters.

Mannheim, the current name of this house, has historically been known as the Coffman House. Ownership of these lands go back to Jacob Kauffman who held land in the area from an early date. This is a large stone and frame located about one mile north of Edom where Martin and Michael Kauffman, likely the first Mennonite preachers in the area would have preached. This house was built before the other "Coffman house".

The house was constructed in 1788 in a Colonial and Georgian-style three bays in width, and of limestone. The house stands two and a half stories tall, banked into the rolling hillside. Capped with a steep roof, the interior of the house was ornately finished. Presenting an almost square form, the interior plan of Mannheim is also representative of rare early German building traditions, known as the flurkuchenhaus and kreuzehaus plans. Indicative of these unequal three-to-four-room plans, the building features a large interior stone chimney that rises slightly off-center from the roofline. The fireplace is huge enough to roast an ox, and can easily be walked through.

There is confusion about the source of this house. While the 1788 date seems to correspond with an understanding that a David Coffman built the house and had the land, others suggest that his father Michael may have started the house in 1771. Census and land records don't seem to support the notion of Michael or Martin residing at Linville in the period; only two Jacob Kauffman's seem clearly present for the period. The owner of this house after 1820 seems to have been a breeder of and dealer in slaves. Across the road from the main house still stand the remains of two slave quarters. These buildings which seem to have been built about 1830, consist of two rooms, each with a fireplace, one slave family living in each. In addition there were separate structures which were part of "Mannheim", including a log smokehouse, an Grecian-revival office building from about 1830, and stone springhouse from about 1850.

Interestingly, this restored house, which is on national and state registers as a historical place, was for sale in 2008 as a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house of 3964 square feet, with an asking price of $799,900. The house is currently being sold on a five acre lot.

Kauffman/Coffman genealogy is very confusing. Please see our discussion of the other Kauffman house at Linville Creek. The earliest land owner named in deeds is a Jacob Coffman, though the known historical figures associated with the properties are possible brothers Michael and Martin. The builder of this house seems to have been one of the sons in the next generation -- David. The house bears the markings of what are called, because of their education and wealth, "The Barons" of Linville Creek. Around 1800, David Coffman joined the Linville Baptist Church, as did some other Germans from the neighborhood.