THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503010198
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
When fire broke out Sunday at the Bruce-Speers property in Western Branch, Bill Hearring had reason to be concerned. As of today, Hearring is the new owner of the six-acre parcel and the 300-year-old historic home located there.
Hearring, a real estate developer, had agreed to purchase the house and property several weeks ago. He received word Sunday that two buildings on the property, both dating back to the Civil War era, had been destroyed.
``I was concerned about the fire, but I was relieved to hear that nobody was injured,'' said Hearring. The buildings, a barn and what is believed to be slaves' quarters, were both vacant and dilapidated. Hearring said he probably would have removed the slave quarters anyway.
``It was beyond repair. But I was hoping to salvage the barn and use it for storage space.''
The Bruce-Speers house and surrounding property has a history that goes back more than 300 years. The property was once a 1,800-acre plantation. The house, which was not damaged by the fire, was built in 1690 on a land grant by King Charles I to Richard William Bruce, cousin to the king and ancestor of the late Del. H.W. Grady Speers Sr. Speers represented what was then Norfolk County from 1921 to 1928.
``The house still has its original doors, hand rails and wooden floor,'' said George Speers, the delegate's grandson and family historian. Speers and his mother moved into the home in 1981, but the property became too difficult for them to manage alone, so the family decided to sell.
``I had mixed emotions about the move,'' said Speers, ``but it's for the best that we end this chapter in our lives.'' Speers and his mother, Ethel, are moving to a condominium nearby.
According to Speers, Hearring is getting more than just a house and six acres in the arrangement. ``This house is haunted,'' he said. ``Plenty of strange things have happened here.''
The property's history is indeed intriguing. Speers said the house sits just a few yards from an ancient Indian burial ground.
But the story that Speers loves to tell is about Aunt Louisa Bruce King. As legend has it, during the Civil War, Aunt Louisa shot and killed a Yankee soldier and his horse, then buried the soldier under the floor boards of the house.
``She really didn't have a choice,'' said Speers. ``If the Yankees found out about it, they would have burned the house to the ground.''
The future of the Bruce-Speers home is undecided. Hearring plans to build a house for himself and his family on the property but whether or not the 300-year-old home will remain is debatable.
``I'd like to find some way to make use of the house, but that might not be possible,'' said Hearring. ``I'll have to wait and see.''
Greg Orfield, an investigator with the fire marshal's office, is investigating Sunday's fire.
``We believe the fire was deliberate, and we're looking into the possibility that juveniles were involved.''
KEYWORDS: FIRE HISTORIC HOUSE by CNB