About Us
Founded in 1981, Friends of the Hollow is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the boyhood home of Chief Justice John Marshall, known as The Hollow. What began as a local effort to obtain recognition of the abandoned tenant house on a large privately-owned tract of land has grown into a mission-driven organization committed to historical research, restoration, and public education.
Over the years, Friends of the Hollow played a crucial role in proving the site's authenticity through extensive archaeological and architectural studies, including dendrochronological analysis that dated the structure to the correct period. Their dedication led to The Hollow's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, ensuring its recognition as a nationally significant landmark.
Today, with ownership of the property secured, Friends of the Hollow continues its mission to restore the site, expand public access, and share the rich history of John Marshall's formative years with future generations.
Vision for The Hollow
Phase 1: Stabilization
- Exterior repairs and repainting
- Replacing the historic shake roof
- Site improvements for visitor parking and accessibility
Phase 2: Interpretation
- John Marshall's boyhood through the American Revolution
- 250 years of African American History
- The evolution of a Virginia farm from frontier days to modern times
Phase 3: Education
- Civics through the lens of John Marshall, America's most influential Chief Justice
- American history, from the frontier era through the Revolution, Civil War, and beyond
- The African American experience, highlighting contributions throughout history
Through these efforts, The Hollow will serve as a living classroom, where visitors can engage with the past, present, and future of American democracy and society.
A Committee Forms...
At two o'clock on November 8th 1981, the first Annual Meeting of the Friends of The Hollow was held. The agenda included the presentation of the Charter, By-Laws, and a discussion of a possible Architectural & Historic evaluation among other things. Click here to view the original invitation sent by President Evelyn M. Light.
Board of Directors
Thomas Marshall deButts
Tom deButts is a fourth Great Grandson of Chief Justice Marshall and an attorney. He has served as the President of the Friends of the Hollow for over 30 years, seeing it through from ownership by land speculators, through National Historic Landmark recognition and rehabilitation, to its current status under full control of the organization. Tom is also the Vice Chair and Board Member of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association and has deep roots in Fauquier and Loudoun counties. He received his A.B. in Economics and History from Duke University, his J.D. from George Mason University, and resides in Delaplane, VA.
Read deButts
Read deButts is a fourth Great Grandson of Chief Justice Marshall. Read spent summers on the family farm - “Innis” - with Grandmother Mary Stuart Marshall. Innis is “just down the road” from The Hollow. For the past 30 years, Read has served on Friends of the Hollow's board, Secretary/Treasurer and occasional PR consultant. Read is President of OTM Partners LLC based in Arlington, Virginia and has a BA in History from the University of Virginia.
Jim Stribling
Jim Stribling, a fourth Great Grandson of Chief Justice John Marshall, lives three miles south of The Hollow on a farm that has been in the family since Marshall purchased it from Lord Fairfax. In 2024 he was appointed to the John Marshall Council and as Chairperson of the John Marshall Center's Descendants Committee by the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. He is also active at Leeds Episcopal Church, the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County, and Leeds Ruritan Club.
William "Bee" Stribling
Will Stribling, a fifth Great Grandson of John Marshall, is a native of Markham. As a boy, Bee roamed the same green rolling hills as the Great Chief Justice. Bee also serves on the Descendants Advisory Committee for the John Marshall Center in Richmond, Va. He is currently the middle school director at St. Stephen's and St Agnes School in Alexandria where he lives with his wife Nicole and his two children, Robert Mackay and Eleanor Elizabeth Marshall.