In 1810 a young man from Vermont, Elijah Fletcher, left home to seek a position
as a tutor in a far distant southern state. After an arduous journey of many months
on a bay mare, he arrived in New Glasgow, Virginia in May 1811. He had
accepted the presidency of the New Glasgow Academy (a private school for boys).
He settled into the neighborhood quickly and soon met one of the leading
families: the Crawfords (who lived at Tusculum). In April 1813 he married Maria
Antoinette, daughter of William Sidney Crawford. They began their married life in
Lynchburg, Eiljah soon left teaching and turned to land sales, politics, and
eventually farming. In the 1840s Elijah tired of town life and decided to retire to
one his favorite plantations, named Sweet Briar after a species of rose favored by
his wife. They had four living children: Sidney (1821-1898), Lucian (1824-1895),
Indiana (1828-1900), and Elizabeth (1831-1890). When Elijah died in 1858 he
deeded Sweet Briar to his eldest daughter, Indiana. Sidney had already inherited
Tusculum, his mother's family's plantation and Elizabeth built a plantation across
the road from Sweet Briar which she named Mt San Angelo. The fourth son,
Lucian, did not inherit any land from his father.
To learn more about the Fletcher Family and the families who worked on the plantation and, later, the college, please visit our iStories page.