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Dixon, also known as Dixon's Plantation, was a privately owned historic
''Accompanying four photos''
/ref> Later additions which expanded the original five-bay home to a nine-bay home, were subsequently removed. In 1934, a pen and ink drawing of Dixon (see infobox, this article) was made by Elsie, J. Mistie for the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project (1932–1937). The drawing documented Dixon before the later additions of hyphen-connected outbuildings.
Beginning in 2000, the owner of Dixon removed the flanking 1950s Colonial Revival wings, replacing them with more modern additions, including a master wing, screened porch and guest wing. A completely modern workshop/garage dependency (outbuilding) was constructed nearby, in a compatible 18th century architectural style.
During the restoration of the primary wing, period incorrect slate roofing was replaced with the correct wood shingles (fish scale pattern), nails were forged where necessary and replacement siding was replicated after original attic planking.
Interior furnishings included a portrait of
Historic photographs at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Dixon plantation house.
About the WPA Historic Houses Drawings Collection
About Elsie J. Mistie and the WPA Historic Houses Drawings Collection
* ttp://www.lva.virginia.gov/involved/f-jms.htm The Fry-Jefferson Map Society
plantation house
A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...
(1793-2021) in King and Queen County, Virginia
King and Queen County is a county in the U.S. state of Virginia, located in the state's Middle Peninsula on the eastern edge of the Richmond, VA metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,608. Its county seat is King and Qu ...
on the Mattaponi River
The Mattaponi River is a tributary of the York River estuary in eastern Virginia in the United States.
History
Historically, the Mattaponi River has been known by a variety of names and alternate spellings, including ''Mat-ta-pa-ment'', Matapa ...
—a tributary of the York River in one of Virginia's historic slavery-dependent tobacco-growing regions. The property was situated between the two unincorporated communities
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
of Shacklefords and King and Queen Court House, Virginia
King and Queen Court House is a census-designated place (CDP) in, and the county seat of King and Queen County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 85. The community runs along State Route 14, on the north side of t ...
.
Dated (by tree-rings) to 1793, the plantation's surviving central residence was a two-story, five bay, symmetrical frame house with a gambrel roof, brick foundation and brick end-walls—the latter featuring Flemish bond and internal (rather than expressed) chimneys.
Located between two adjacent plantations, the earliest owners of the property were William Meredith and subsequently Richard Dixon, of whom little is known. The plantation and home were named after Richard Dixon, and he is credited with constructing the surviving residence.
At the time of its successful nomination to 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 ...
(NRHP) in 2005, Dixon was one of eight surviving gambrel-roof residences from the eighteenth and early nineteenth century in King and Queen County, Virginia.
A fire in the spring of 2021 completely destroyed Dixon.
Description
According to its NRHP nomination, the home featured its original interior wood paneling, and noteworthy interior stairway detailing—the latter with sculptural railings, ''column and urn'' balusters (two per tread) andnewel post
A newel, also called a central pole or support column, is the central supporting pillar of a staircase. It can also refer to an upright post that supports and/or terminates the handrail of a stair banister (the "newel post"). In stairs having str ...
s with molded caps and mortise and tenon
A mortise and tenon (occasionally mortice and tenon) joint connects two pieces of wood or other material. Woodworkers around the world have used it for thousands of years to join pieces of wood, mainly when the adjoining pieces connect at right ...
construction.
Landside and waterside elevations were identical with double doors centered on each exterior elevation, flanked by two "nine-over-nine" sash windows and four horizontal basement windows. The second floor features five flat-headed dormers.
In the 1950s, flanking buildings were added, connected to the main house by segmented hyphens
The hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. ''Son-in-law'' is an example of a hyphenated word. The hyphen is sometimes confused with dashes (figure d ...
. an''Accompanying four photos''
/ref> Later additions which expanded the original five-bay home to a nine-bay home, were subsequently removed. In 1934, a pen and ink drawing of Dixon (see infobox, this article) was made by Elsie, J. Mistie for the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project (1932–1937). The drawing documented Dixon before the later additions of hyphen-connected outbuildings.
Site
Records indicate the original site featured out-buildings including a kitchen, smokehouse, barn, wharf, dairy and cemetery. Research indicates a nearby house and kitchen that predate the existing house. Originally nearly 440 acres and now roughly 20 acres, the property at the time of its NRHP nomination featured four non-original outbuildings. The number has since changed with Dixon's subsequent restoration and renovation.2000–2010 restoration
Beginning in 2000, the owner of Dixon removed the flanking 1950s Colonial Revival wings, replacing them with more modern additions, including a master wing, screened porch and guest wing. A completely modern workshop/garage dependency (outbuilding) was constructed nearby, in a compatible 18th century architectural style.
During the restoration of the primary wing, period incorrect slate roofing was replaced with the correct wood shingles (fish scale pattern), nails were forged where necessary and replacement siding was replicated after original attic planking.
Interior furnishings included a portrait of George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
by Thomas Sully
Thomas Sully (June 19, 1783November 5, 1872) was a portrait painter in the United States. Born in Great Britain, he lived most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He painted in the style of Thomas Lawrence. His subjects included nationa ...
, mid-eighteenth century Norfolk chair, period correct knee-hole bureau and 18th century Fry Jefferson Map of Virginia.
See also
Historic photographs at the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Dixon plantation house.
About the WPA Historic Houses Drawings Collection
About Elsie J. Mistie and the WPA Historic Houses Drawings Collection
* ttp://www.lva.virginia.gov/involved/f-jms.htm The Fry-Jefferson Map Society
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Plantation houses in Virginia Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Houses completed in 1793 Houses in King and Queen County, Virginia National Register of Historic Places in King and Queen County, Virginia