The Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia 2002 Master Plan calls for the expansion and reorganization of the Museum's exhibits. Simply put, in the future the Museum will be experienced in two sections: the Old World, and America. These two section with be physically separated and located on opposite sides of the Museum's property; some day, these two parts will be connected by a modern exhibit gallery that focuses on transatlantic migration.

The first step in this expansion has been taken with the reconstitution and restoration of the structure known as the Bowman House, which is to be the center-piece of the Museum's 1820 American Farm. The Bowman House was donated to the Museum by Robert Y. and Linda Betts Frazier of Harrisonburg, Virginia, and was originally located in northern Rockingham County. This extraordinary dwelling dates to 1773, and was built by a German-speaking immigrant named, Georg Baumann, and his son Johannes, in what was then Augusta County. Although Georg and Johannes Baumann came to be known as George and John Bowman in Virginia, the house they built is a rare surviving example of a type of vernacular architecture brought to America and adapted by German-speaking immigrants in the eighteenth century. But like many examples of vernacular architecture, including those featured elsewhere at the Museum, the Bowman House was added on to by a later generation, in this case by George's grandson and John's son, who was also named, John. This addition was completed in 1820, and with it, the house reached the size and form that it is today. The Museum plans to build the 1820 American Farm out over time by adding a barn and other outbuildings, though, for the moment, the Bowman House is wonderful beginning.

Below are two documents and a file of several documents that the Museum hopes will be useful to those interested in the Bowman family and the house they built. The first is a brief history of the early generations of the Bowman family in Virginia written by the Museum's Curator of Collections, David Puckett. The second is an explanation of the Bowman House's architecture, and the building techniques used in its construction, written by the Museum's Curator of Historic Buildings, Ray Wright. The file of documents entitled, Carrier v. Bowman, holds transcriptions of original chancery court papers relating to a suit against the first John Bowman's sons George and John brought by three of his sons-in-laws and daughters over his 1816 will.

The original case documents are in the Augusta County Court House in Staunton, Virginia, and hold much of interest about the early Bowman family, their neighborhood, and their times. They are transcribed as closely to the original documents as possible. No attempt was made to correct the spelling or grammar of the originals and every attempt has been made to show the corrections made on the original documents. The philosophy behind this treatment is that the original spelling and grammar tells us something of how the people involved in the creation of these documents thought and spoke.

The staff of the Museum welcomes further discussion of these documents and of the Bowman House. Anyone with questions or comments is encouraged to contact Museum staff at info@fcmv.virginia.gov.

Bowman Family

Building the Bowman House

Carrier v. Bowman

New information on George Bowman discovered by his direct descendent, Mr. Bernie Bowman