Absalom Row

Absalom Row

Absalom Row (1796-1855), my great great grandfather, was born in Orange County to Thomas and Rachel Row. Absalom was the twelfth of their thirteen children. Thomas Row had moved to Orange after his service in the Revolutionary War and established his farm at Mine Run on what is now Route 20. Absalom met Nancy Estes of Greenfield Plantation in Spotsylvania and married her on November 2, 1825. Together Absalom and Nancy reared a family of five children--Martha, Sarah (who died young), Nannie, Bettie and George. After the death of Nancy's father Richard Estes in 1832, Absalom bought Greenfield.  The farm would remain in the Row family until 1905. Absalom was an active man of many accomplishments. He was a farmer, a gold miner, justice of the peace, school commissioner, and overseer of the poor. Upon his death in 1855 Absalom owned 25 slaves and his land holdings totaled 889 acres. He named Nancy as the executrix of his estate.