HISTORY. References to a spring house appear frequently in descriptions
of Green Spring Farm during the nineteenth century.[103] The well
watered character of the farm, possessing springs of its own and
traversed by Turkey Cock Run, was an advantage of great value to all
its owners. Quite possibly the presence of the springs was decisive in
enabling both the Mosses and Fountain Beattie to make dairying a
substantial part of the farm's operations. In the 1830's, many of the
types of equipment and utensils typically used in making and preserving
butter, cheese, and fresh milk were listed in inventories of personal
property at the farm. During this period and later, the presence of the
Little River Turnpike would have made it feasible to sell dairy
products regularly in Alexandria, six miles away, and in the
District of Columbia, nine miles away.[104] It is equally likely that
a spring house was also one of the focal points of the farm's cider
and brandy-making activities at those times when the orchards
flourished.
After the sale of the farm by Fountain Beattie in 1917, the level of
its operations gradually decreased. By 1940, the spring house stood
unused, as neither dairying nor orchard activities were carried on.
Therefore, when the Straights ordered the renovation of the main house
in 1942, it was suggested that the spring house be converted into a
residence for the farm's caretaker.
Conversion of the spring house into a residence was carried out under
the direction of Walter Macomber of Washington, D.C., who also had
been in charge of remodeling the main house. Using the basic stone
shell of the house, which was structurally sound, a two-story house
was designed with living room, bedroom, kitchen, and utility (heater)
room on the first floor and a bedroom, bathroom, and storage area on
the second floor.[105] (See figure 19.) In this work, new materials
were used, except that slate shingles taken from the main house (where
the roof was being replaced) were used for roofing the spring house.
In 1961, the second major remodeling of the house enlarged it and
attempted to reduce the dampness due to its location in the midst of
the springs. The architects for this work were Keyes, Lethbridge &
Condon of Washington, D.C. As a result of this work, the roof was
raised to permit construction of a new bedroom and storage room on the
second floor. On the first floor, enclosure of a porch permitted the
addition of a bathroom and closet to the downstairs bedroom.
Substantial remodeling of the kitchen was also undertaken, in which a
closet was converted into cabinets, new flooring was laid, and new
kitchen fixtures were installed.
EXTERIOR. The original portion of the spring house is constructed of
stone, with stucco exterior finish. The frame addition is covered with
rough-sawn redwood lap siding over half-inch vapor-sealed sheathing.
The roofing for this portion of the house is slate shingles, matching
the slate roof of the original portion which used shingles taken from
the mansion house when it was renovated in 1942. Copper gutters and
downspouts were installed in 1961, as was copper flashing at the base
of the chimney.