Robert Rives (1764-1845)
Commission Merchant & Judge, of "Oak Ridge" Nelson County, Virginia
He was described as, "a small man, about 5 feet 9 inches high, well set; very seat in dress; very inquisitive and talkative; very polite; very hospitable; very much respected by all who knew him; and very much beloved by his slaves, of whom he owned a large number". He went into business with James Brown establishing Brown, Rives & Co., one of the foremost commission houses in Virginia. They owned ships and traded in tobacco, cotton, corn, rice, etc., both nationally and internationally (the West Indies, England, Scotland and Spain). He owned a large estate in Albemarle and between 10-15,000-acres in Nelson County where he was the presiding Judge. In 1803, he moved into his new home "Oak Ridge" (pictures), built on land in Nelson County that he inherited through his wife. It remained in the Rives family until 1867, and in 1901 it was purchased - and greatly extended - by the tobacco tycoon, Thomas Fortune Ryan. When Rives died, his personal estate was valued at $100,000. He and his wife had ten children.
