The Mooney / Shifflett House

The Mooney / Shifflett House
Information and photo submitted by Bob Klein bobklein99@comcast.net

I am enclosing a picture of an old log cabin located on our property in Shiflett Hollow. My wife and I decided to research all the property owners as far back as we could go to see how many Shiffletts lived there. We have always been told the house was built around 1850. Our research seems to indicate that this is probably correct. Here is a list of the owners and the year recorded on the deed when they purchased the property.

1850 Thornton Mooney
1881 Edward S. and May Mooney
1890 Rutha A. Shiflett
1902 Charles and Virginia Roberts
1911 W. Lawrence and Bettie Shiflett
1919 Cora Ann Shiflett
1922 John Bray and Estelle Shiflett
1952 Cecil and Virginia Shiflett
1993 Robert and Delores Klein

Before 1850, our track of about 57 acres, was part of a larger track owned by Elizabeth Early. In 1850 Thornton Mooney purchased 50 acres more or less from the Earlys. I would assume he was the one that built the house. He owned the land for 31 years before selling to his son Edward. The first Shiflett to own the property was Rutha. This is where I found a little confusion with the Micajah chart. Rutha was the only person listed on the deed as the buyer in 1890, however, she was married to Durrett Shiflett in 1874 they had a son Artemous in 1877. When she sold the property in 1902 to Charles and Virginia Roberts; Rutha, Durrett, and Artemous were listed as the sellers with all three signing the deed (Durrett marked with an X). The Shiflett web page for Micajah and Candes Shiflett says Durrett died before 1880, which could have explained why only Rutha bought the property, however, he was alive when the property was sold. Durrett is also listed as HH in the 1860 GCC.

The last owner to actually live in the house was John Bray Shifflett who took ill and sold to Cecil Shiflett (my father-in-law and s/o of Willie T. Shiflett). John Bray Shifflett died Oct 26. 1956. Cecil lived in Dundalk, MD since his late teens and until his death in 1993. He made monthly trips to Shiflett Hollow all his life and after he retired in 1983 he spent a lot more time there but decided to remain in Dundalk to be near his children and grand children. Cecil allowed an old man named Jerry Sullivan to live in the house, in return for taking care of his cattle, until some time in the early 1970’s. Jerry Sullivan eventually became very sick and had to move in with a daughter, he died a short time later. He preferred his independence and enjoyed taking care of the cattle Cecil kept on the property. As old as he was, he would be seen walking the road for many miles in Greene and Albemarle counties. Cecil would always bring Jerry a six-pack of beer whenever he went to Va.

I think this may be the same Jerry Sullivan that is featured in the article “From White Hall to Bacon Hollow by George Foss”, but I can’t be completely sure. I seem to remember Jerry dying in the early 1970’s at about the age of 85. The article says he was 91, maybe we’re both right or one of us is wrong.

Rutha A. Shiflett is the d/o Henry B. Shiflett and the grand daughter of Micajah and Candace Shiflett. She married her 1st cousin Durrett Davis Shiflett. I would assume they both lived in this house, but if he died before 1880 then he could not have lived there and then that lives the question of whom the Durrett is listed on the deed.

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This page is part of the Shiflet Family Genealogy Website and is maintained by:

Julia Crosswell / Fort Worth, TX /
Bob Klein / Pasadena, MD /