This land probably came into the Ruffin family through Robert's marriage to the widow of George Watkins, who had patented about 1,300 acres throughout the country.
The Ruffin family house overlooks a branch of College Run and is one of the largest Antebellum houses to survie in Surry County with most of its original fittings intact. We're not sure when the present house was built--either by William III(1774-1802) or by his son, William E.B. (1802-1860).
The floor plan is with four rooms on each floor, heated by the double exterior end chimneys.
There were at least eight outbuildings, of which four exist today--the smokehouse, a two-room frame office, and two barns.
The Ruffin family graveyard to the right of the house still exists.
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Virginia Crilley.
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