Dameron Marsh

Dameron Marsh is point of land located in Ball's Neck, Northumberland County, VA. It is where the first Dameron immigrants made their home and the land stayed in the family until 1850. Today the land is protected by the state of Virginia as a Natural Area Preserve and is open to the public.

Lawrence Dameron's home was probably built of wood and its location has been lost. About 1735 his grandson, Col. Thomas Dameron built a large brick house on the property. Helen Foster Snow documented several memories of the manor in The Dameron-Damron Genealogy:

"Mrs. Louisa Hurst Ball, born September 29, 1817, daughter of Capt. James Hurst, an officer in the Revolutionary War; and wife of Thomas Ball, lived her married life at 'Bayview' and died about 1910. Her mind was clear, and she retained a wonderful memory until she died. The last owner of the manor house was Mr. Robert J. Dameron, a great-grandson of Col. Thomas Dameron. In his later years he was quite generally called 'Uncle Robert.' Mrs. Ball wrote, 'Uncle Robert's house was called, after it was sold, the 'Brick Walls.' I remember two very large high-pitched rooms, with a wide entrance hall between. The entrance doors to the hall were double, large and tall. The whole home had the effect of spaciousness, and the windows were unusually large and deep with seats in them. The staircase was wide and, as it opened on the second floor, a more extensive apartment or hall spread out, giving an idea of airiness and space. On this hall opened the sleeping chambers. In the old days there was much gaiety here and tradition tells of the candle lighted 'great hall,' where the minuet was danced, while the negro fiddlers played and a generous hospitality was dispensed, with laughing colored servants looking on and serving the guests, with genuine enjoyment. The negroes were treated indulgently always among Virginians.

"Mrs. Sarah Wooters raised in this old house and a ward of her great-uncle Mr. Robert Damron, mentioned above writes, 'The front of the dwelling faced toward the highway, and the back to the sea. As I remember, the 'house' had ten rooms--including the big halls. There was a kitchen away from the house, and the little colored children used to come running across the yard with the dishes of food. This was always a source of great pleasure and excitement to them.

"I remember best the old fire place at the end of the hall, so large that you could put a fence rail in it. Uncle Robert used to have family prayers in the hall, with all the negroes gathered in. His prayers were long and the youngsters always went to sleep. There were fruits of all kinds on the place.'

"After the death of Uncle Robert Dameron, as he was called, the place passed into the possession of John H. Harding. A new home was built on another site and the old brick manor house that had stood for about 125 years was pulled down, though it remains a landmark in the affectionate memory of the country side now called Ball’s Neck."

Early in its history the land was known as Guarding Point or Garden Point. It was noted as serving as lookout post during Bacon's Rebellion and legend says the fires were lit at the end of the point as a warning during the war of 1812 when the British sailed past on the way to invade Washington. It may have also been named for the gardens surrounding Brick Walls manor house.

According to Lawrence Dameron's will the land he purchased on the Great Wicomico contained 500 acres. Eventually the land passed through the Harding and Smith families but the Dameron name was not forgotten and the spit of land was still referred to locally as Dameron Marsh. When the Natural Area Preserve was established in 1999 it contained 316 acres and was named Dameron Marsh.

Near the park entrance the Harding family cemetery is visible. Though it contains no marked Dameron graves many early Damerons are thought to be buried in the plot. In 2009 the Dameron-Damron Family association placed a memorial marker at the site.