Bell House, also known as the summer home of

Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell (, born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born inventor, scientist and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He also co-founded the American Telephone and Te ...

, is a historic home located at

Colonial Beach Colonial Beach, Virginia (CBVA) is a river and beach town located in the northwestern part of Westmoreland County on Virginia's Northern Neck peninsula. It is bounded by the Potomac River, Monroe Bay and Monroe Creek. It is located from Washingt ...

Westmoreland County, Virginia Westmoreland County is a county located in the Northern Neck of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 18,477. Its county seat is Montross. History As originally established by the Virginia colony's ...

. It is a -story, five-bay Stick Style frame dwelling originally built between 1883 and 1885 for Helen and Colonel J.O.P Burnside. It features a wraparound porch with turned posts and sawn brackets and a central projecting tower with a pyramidal roof and balcony overhang. Also on the property are a contributing

privy Privy is an old-fashioned term for an outdoor toilet, often known as an outhouse and by many other names. Privy may also refer to: * Privy council, a body that advises the head of state * Privy mark, a small mark in the design of a coin * Privy Pur ...

and garage (c. 1930). Alexander Graham Bell inherited the property in 1907 from his father Alexander Melville Bell, who acquired it in 1886, and held it continuously until 1918. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1987.

References

Houses in Westmoreland County, Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Queen Anne architecture in Virginia Alexander Graham Bell Houses completed in 1885 National Register of Historic Places in Westmoreland County, Virginia Stick-Eastlake architecture in the United States History of Virginia {{WestmorelandCountyVA-NRHP-stub