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The George Earman house, located within the boundaries of the city of Harrisonburg, is a vivid example of the creativity and sense of ornament found in the carving, joinery, and decorative painting of various early-19th-century Shenandoah Valley farmhouses. Hidden within an exceptionally plain, ca. 1822 brick I-house, this remarkable decoration reveals the persistence of the German influence after the Continental house forms had been abandoned for the more popular English-influenced models. Here local craftsmen freely interpreted Federal pattern-book motifs, carving them in the more robust German manner and integrating them with traditional local designs to create very individualized compositions. The parlor woodwork retains its original boldly colored painting scheme including marbleizing, woodgraining, and sponge-painted panels, forming an important work of Valley folk art.