Green Springs was built in the late 18th century on lands in
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,596. The county seat is Louisa.
History
Prior to colonial settlement, the area comprising Louisa County was occupied by severa ...
assembled by Sylvanus Morris. His son Richard (c.1740-1821) developed near the mineral springs that gave the property its name and built the two-story frame house. The property stands in an unusually fertile region of central Virginia, surrounded by a number of 18th and 19th century farms and plantations. The district has been designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
district, comprising about under scenic easement protection.
Description
The main house is a two-story frame structure with a compact plan. The house forgoes the typical Virginia central-hall plan, employing instead a simple four-room plan on the main floor, with the stairs relegated to a small space at the rear. The two front rooms each have their own entry in the five-bay main elevation. The rear has received a shed-roofed addition, and a two-story frame addition has been added on the west side of the house. The interior features its original woodwork, using simple shapes and patterns. The property includes a number of barns, slave quarters and other dependencies.
[
]
The Morris family
Colonel Richard Morris held a number of public offices, including Commissary for the Commonwealth, and was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...
in 1788. Morris operated a small resort at the Green Springs with two houses, an icehouse, servant quarters, a blacksmith shop and utility buildings, which were abandoned by Richard's son and heir James Maury Morris.[
Green Springs 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 ...
on June 30, 1972.Green Springs National Historic Landmark District
Green Springs National Historic Landmark District is a national historic district in Louisa County, Virginia noted for its concentration of fine rural manor houses and related buildings in an intact agricultural landscape. The district compri ...
.[
]
References
External links
Green Springs
at the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District (NPS)
Green Springs (Main House), Near Routes 617 & 15, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at the Historic American Buildings Survey
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
(HABS)
Green Springs, Barn No. 1, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
Green Springs, Barn No. 2, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
Green Springs, Corn Crib, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
Green Springs, Guest Cottage No. 1, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
Green Springs, Guest Cottage No. 2, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
Green Springs, Guest Cottage No. 3, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
Green Springs, Tenant Houses, Routes 617 & 15 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA
at HABS
{{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
Houses in Louisa County, Virginia
Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Louisa County, Virginia