When Sharon Peterson and her husband Vernon received a phone call earlier this summer from longtime friend, Henry Reid of Oakley Farm in Upperville, they were surprised when he asked how Sharon would feel about talking to a new neighbor, Dr Betsee Parker, who had recently purchased the estate known as "Huntland." Dr. Parker was doing in-depth research on the history of the property and the people who had lived there. She had discovered that it had been named New Lisbon, by the Benton family who purchased it in the early 1800s. At that time, a family named McQuay lived there as slaves. Sharon Peterson is a descendent of the McQuays. Suddenly she realized that her roots were at Huntland.

"I knew quite a bit about my family going back to my great grand parents, Charles and Ella McQuay," Sharon recalled. "But I had never gone any further back than that. I guess part of me just wanted to blank out that time...."

"Now that Betsee Parker is doing this study and wants me to be a part of it I am really thrilled! "I can hardly explain the feelings I had the first time she invited me over and we walked through the buildings known to the house slaves and later to the workers on the property who stayed on after the war. I was totally overwhelmed. I was walking in the footsteps of my forebears!"

Another rich chapter of Middleburg's history unfolded as the story of Huntlands emerged. It begins in the early 1800's when William Benton purchased the property known as Pot House. He named the home he built there "New Lisbon" after his family's home in Wales. Benton, who learned to make and lay bricks at the Pot House, became so well known as a mason that he was asked to build President James Monroe's residence at Oak Hill. He had met James Monroe during the War of 1812 and the President and his wife were godparents to William Benton's son, James Monroe Benton, who was born at Oak Hill. William Benton also laid the bricks for his home, Spring Hill (now called Benton), the Unison Methodist Church, The 'brick house' at Foxcroft School, and the Emmanuel Church parsonage.

In 1837, William Benton and his son James designed and built "New Lisbon." In 1911, New Lisbon was renamed 'Huntland' by Joseph Thomas, a wealthy New Yorker who transformed the property into a fabulous sportsmen's paradise. Stables and kennels were designed and built in the style of the beautiful structures found on the Great Estates of England, Europe and Russia, architecture previously unknown in the area.

The Benton family was devoted to education and by 1850, in defiance of Virginia law, William Hyde Benton was teaching his slaves to read and write. Margaret Harrison Benton, his wife, continued this tradition at New Lisbon until the 1860s. She also taught each of their slaves a trade. In, 'The History of Middleburg and Vicinity,' mapmaker and historian Eugene Scheel describes the life of the McQuays at New Lisbon and notes that "... they learned their lessons well!"

The McQuays were also among the most important founding families of the village of Saint Louis. Scheel notes that the McQuay family history is undeniably linked to the history of the village. As local lore has it, the village was actually named after one of the Mcquays who had left Virginia after the Civil War to live for a number of years in Saint Louis, Missouri. He eventually returned to his home to die and the McQuay clan dubbed him "Little Saint Louis." The name was transferred to the family settlement and by 1891 a village lot is described as located in "Little St. Louis." At that time the local church was also named St. Louis New School Baptist Church.

In 1881 another local land owner, Thomas Glascock, "...well heeled and of the Gentry," according to Scheel, divided a section of his land and made lots available to former slaves at $20 an acre rather than at the going rate of $100 an acre. By 1900 African American families including the McQuays, the Cooks, the Strothers, Howards, Carters and Peters owned their own property in St. Louis and were known as "high society" by local Whites according to Scheel.

Scheel refers to St. Louis as "the Black Middleburg," and describes the "St. Louis Colored Colt Show," officially chartered in 1889, as being organized and managed by Charles McQuay, Sharon's great grandfather. Charles McQuay, who was born into slavery in 1856 to William and Catherine, was listed as a "house servant" on the Benton property in 1870. For Sharon, this is a vital piece of information because, for the first time, it reveals the names of her great great grandparents, Charles and Ella Poles, and notes their marriage in 1884.

Sharon Peterson is the daughter of Thelma Berryman and granddaughter of Mattie McQuay Berryman. Mattie was the daughter of Charles and Ella McQuay. In the 1890s Charles Mc Quay built the home Sharon and her husband Vernon live in today.

"At one point a number of years ago I sold the house and immediately regretted it. I knew it was the wrong thing to do and was haunted by it. We were finally able to buy it back at more than five times what we were paid for it," Sharon remembered.

Sharon tells wonderful stories of growing up in the area. She attended elementary grades at the Banneker School in St. Louis where several of her family members were employed. Her mom was the secretary, two great aunts were cooks, a great uncle was the custodian. "I couldn't get away with anything! Whichever way I turned, they were there!" she said smiling.

Her Grandmother Mattie who was extremely influential in Sharon's life, taught at the one room schoolhouse on Sam Fred Road in the 1940's. That building is now the New Zion Baptist Church.

The Berryman/Mcquay family also left it's mark on the area. In the late 1800s, George Berryman the patriarch in the family owned a large amount of land along Sam Fred Road and the Snickersville Turnpike. George, along with Robert McQuay, also listed as a Benton slave, was an original founder of the Baptist church in St. Louis. Berryman raised his family on Sam Fred Road. The foundation of his original house can be found in an overgrown section of the trail leading from today's Berryman Lane down to Goose Creek. In the Spring a wonderful array of Daffodils line that trail as testimony to the life that had once graced that area.

The wonderful old home of the late Sarah Dayton that is also on Berryman Lane was once the home and stables of Raymond Berryman, one of George Berryman's sons and Sharon's grandfather. Raymond was well known and liked in the community and was considered quite a horseman. He apparently rode and worked regularly with the Middleburg Hunt.

Enouch (Tight) Berryman has lived along Sam Fred Road for many years. The original cottage where he was born and raised is still there along with several old outbuildings and a collection of farm implements that tells the story of life on a small farm in the early part of the twentieth century.

This story would not be complete without mentioning Sharon's Great Uncle Phil McQuay. Phil was a fixture in St. Lou is, running the Phil McQuay's Country store for as long as most can remember. Sadly, it closed in 1961. Not only was it a center for conversation and supplies, in the 1950s it housed the only television in the community and people would come from far and wide to put a coin in the coveted set and watch whatever was showing. Phil also had three stalls in the back of his store and housed horses.

Michael Berryman and Sharon bring the story to the present. Michael, Sharon Peterson's brother, who is a very successful racehorse trainer lives in Tennessee. He grew up with the family of Robbie Banner now Publisher of the Chronicle of the Horse in Middleburg. Robbie's dad, Dr. Banner met Michael at a Middleburg horse event when he was young and recognizing his great potential, invited him to come and live with their family in Tennessee. "Michael is definitely a brother to me" smiles Robbie. Dr Banner put Michael through college and wouldn't let the horses interfere with his education. The rest is history as Michael has become very well known and respected in the sport of horse racing.

Sharon ended our day together by taking us to the Solon grave yard in Middleburg and showing us the grave stones of some of these wonderful personalities that make up much of her heritage. How wonderful to have this piece of history made real to us by Sharon's exuberance and generosity. She said again how overwhelming the feelings were that she experienced as she walked through those old buildings at Huntland. It was overwhelming to share the walk down memory lane with her.