The notes of Arnold Motley, former clerk of Essex Circuit Court, describe the Clarkson house as being a small frame cottage located on the road from Tappahannock to Rexburg (located about one fourth mile above the intersection of present State Routes 627 and 624 [now 717]). The tract adjoined Brambleton Farm.

It is of a typical early American construction, weatherboarded with beaded and tapered poplar boards, all nailed with hand forged nails, batten boarded doors with some of the hand wraught iron holders for barring them. It has the distinction of never having a basement, and the local red sandstone foundation is still intact. At one time a huge chimney made of the same sandstone and topped with brick stood at its eastern side. One enters a hall with enclosed stairs to the right and a large room to the left. A simple chair rail goes around both the hall and large room with sand plaster both above and below. H and L hinges are in evidence. A large back room goes across the entire back and this shows later alterations. Upstairs has a hall room and two smaller rooms with the evidence of two small windows on either side of the former chimney. Hand made nails show in the lathes and the evidence of peg construction is seen above the fallen plastering upstairs.

Here in the six room house James and Mary Clarkson reared five sons but a daughter died at eleven years of age. James Clarkson, Mary and their son Richard are all buried in unmarked graves in the northeast corner of this property next to the main road. James Clarkson never owned this property. He rented it from the Crittenden Family who owned at that time all the land in the intersection of the two roads that led to Rexburg and Dunbrooke.

Lemuel Crittenden and his wife Sukey (Susan) in 1814 sold to his son-in-law Richard Clarkson, who had married their daughter Susan Lorinda Crittenden, for 50 pounds current money the 25 acres that now comprise this tract of land. The description reads that the 25 acres joins Rennolds, Dunn and Crittenden and is on the main road to Tappahannock.