Fort Harrison
Daniel Harrison House, circa 1749
Fort Harrison Through the Generations
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Fort Harrison Owners:
1749 Daniel Harrison builds his stone
house on Cook's Creek
1767 Benjamin Harrison, son of Daniel,
assumes title to the property
1816 Dr. Peachy Harrison, son of
Benjamin Harrison, becomes
the final Harrison to own the house
1821 John Allebaugh purchases the house
from Dr. Harrison
1856 J.N. Liggett purchases the property
1862 William and Solomon Burtner buy
house from Mr. Liggett
1870 Solomon Burtner assumes full title
1917 E.L. Koogler purchases the house
from the Burtners
1929 D.W. Koogler assumes title from
his father (E.L. Koogler)
1978 Fort Harrison, Inc. purchases the
house from Daniel Koogler to
begin restoration.
HOW DOES A HOUSE BECOME A FORT?
During the French and Indian War (1754 - 1763) the
Virginia legislature, known as the House of Burgesses,
passed numerous acts for the defense of the frontier. Many of the already existing substantial houses were designated as "forts". The Daniel Harrison house was one of these and was known as "Fort Harrison".
The original house was built of limestone with two foot thick walls. It contained four rooms with end chimneys serving fireplaces in each of the four rooms. The chimneys were separate units, not built as part of the wall construction. There is no evidence of a cellar.
Photograph taken around 1903 during the Burtner
family ownership.
