Brownsville

The original house, The Old Hall, was built in 1691 by John Browne. His daughter, Sarah Browne Upshur, along with her husband, Arthur Upshur, inherited the house and 1262 acres of Eastern Shore property after John Browne’s death. The Old Hall later became the housing for the enslaved on the estate. Brownsville was built in 1806 by John Upshur, this house started originally as a two-story Federal style house. In 1809, John Upshur added another one and a half story frame wing for visiting relatives. It has similar Federal style interior, decorative woodworking, and craftsmanship as other historic Eastern Shore homes, such as Eyre Hall. This is understandable as John Upshur was the stepfather of Ann Matilda Upshur Eyre, Elizabeth Upshur Teackle, and Arthur Upshur after marrying their mother, Elizabeth Gore Upshur. The Upshur Family lived on the property, in both The Old Hall and then later Brownsville, for 300 years until the house and property were sold to The Nature Conservancy. Now named “The Brownsville Preserve,” the property serves as the headquarters for the Virginia Volgenau Coastal Reserve and the house is open twice a year to visitors.