Many historic houses in Virginia are notable sites. The U.S. state of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

was home to many of America's Founding Fathers, four of the first five

U.S. presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in pa ...

, as well as many important figures of the Confederacy. As one of the earliest locations of European settlement in America, Virginia has some of the oldest buildings in the nation.

List of historic houses in Virginia

Listing includes date of the start of construction where known. *

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

c. 1800 * Adam Thoroughgood House, c. 1719 * Agecroft Hall, late 15th century, Lancashire, England—English Tudor manor house transplanted to Richmond and reconstructed by Thomas C. Williams, Jr. in 1925 * The Anchorage 1749, Northumberland County *

Ampthill Ampthill () is a town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Luton, with a population estimate of 8,100 (Mid year estimate 2017 from the ONS). It is administered bAmpthill Town Council The ward of Ampthill which also i ...

1730, Richmond, Virginia, Built by Henry Cary, Jr. and was later owned by Colonel Archibald Cary. * Arlington House (the Custis-Lee Mansion), 1802, Arlington County —- home of Robert E. Lee * Ash Grove, 1790, Fairfax County—home of

Thomas Fairfax Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 161212 November 1671), also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented command ...

, and Henry Fairfax * Ash Lawn–Highland, 1799, Albemarle County—home of

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

Bacon's Castle Bacon's Castle, also variously known as "Allen's Brick House" or the "Arthur Allen House" is located in Surry County, Virginia, United States, and is the oldest documented brick dwelling in what is now the United States. Built in 1665, it is no ...

, 1665, Surry County — only Jacobean great houses in the U.S., used as a stronghold in

Bacon's Rebellion Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion held by Virginia settlers that took place from 1676 to 1677. It was led by Nathaniel Bacon against Colonial Governor William Berkeley, after Berkeley refused Bacon's request to drive Native American ...

* Ball-Sellers House (Arlington, Virginia) built in 1742 by John Ball, owned by the Arlington Historical Society. * Bel Air Plantation, c. 1740,

Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

— Home of

Parson Weems Mason Locke Weems (October 11, 1759 – May 23, 1825), usually referred to as Parson Weems, was an American minister, evangelical bookseller and author who wrote (and rewrote and republished) the first biography of George Washington immediately a ...

, the first biographer of George Washington and the creator of the cherry tree story * Belle Air Plantation, c. 1700, Charles City County * Bell House, 1882, Westmoreland County — summer home of Alexander Graham Bell * Belle Grove, 1790s, Pittsylvania County - a

Federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

style home owned by the Whitmell P. Tunstall familyBelle Grove: Belle of the County
/ref> * Belle Grove, 1790, King George County - a house in Port Conway, birthplace of James Madison * Bellwood, c. 1800, Chesterfield County, former plantation house, now serves as the officer's club at Defense Supply Center Richmond. * Belle Grove, 1797, Frederick County - a house in Middletown, home of Dolley Madison's sister and a National Trust Historic Site
Belroi home
birthplace of

Walter Reed Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 22, 1902) was a U.S. Army physician who in 1901 led the team that confirmed the theory of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species rather than ...

, in Belroi, Virginia * Belvoir, 1741, Fairfax County — home of Col.

William Fairfax William Fairfax (1691–1757) was a political appointee of the British Crown in several colonies as well as a planter and politician in the Colony of Virginia. Fairfax served as Collector of Customs in Barbados, Chief Justice and governor of the ...

Bryan Fairfax Lancelot Beresford Bryan Fairfax (8 February 192511 January 2014) was an Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who was known for his championing of little known or neglected works.Sally Fairfax *

Berkeley Plantation Berkeley Plantation, one of the first plantations in America, comprises about on the banks of the James River on State Route 5 in Charles City County, Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was originally called Berkeley Hundred, named after the Berkele ...

, 1726, Charles City County — home of the Harrison family (

Benjamin Harrison V Benjamin Harrison V (April 5, 1726April 24, 1791) was an American planter, merchant, and politician who served as a legislator in colonial Virginia, following his namesakes’ tradition of public service. He was a signer of the Continental As ...

; birthplace of

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

) * Berry Hill Plantation, 1835, Halifax County — home of the Bruce family * Brandon Plantation, c. 1765, Prince George County — home of the Harrison family * Brompton, 1824, Fredericksburg, - 19th-century mansion, home of the President of the University of Mary Washington * Brush-Everard House, 1718, Williamsburg *

Carlyle House Carlyle House is a historic mansion in Alexandria, Virginia, United States, built by Scottish merchant John Carlyle in 1751 to 1752 in the Georgian style. It is situated in the city's Old Town at 121 North Fairfax Street between Cameron and K ...

, 1753, Alexandria - home of John Carlyle, Scottish merchant *

Carter's Grove Carter's Grove, also known as Carter's Grove Plantation, is a plantation located on the north shore of the James River in the Grove Community of southeastern James City County in the Virginia Peninsula area of the Hampton Roads region of Vir ...

, 1755, James City County — home of the Burwell family * Castle Hill, 1764, Albemarle County—home of

Thomas Walker (explorer) Thomas Walker (January 25, 1715 – November 9, 1794) was a physician, planter and explorer in colonial Virginia who served multiple terms in the Virginia General Assembly, and whose descendants also had political careers. Walker explored West ...

and

William Cabell Rives William Cabell Rives (May 4, 1793April 25, 1868) was an American lawyer, planter, politician and diplomat from Virginia. Initially a Jackson Democrat as well as member of the First Families of Virginia, Rives served in the Virginia House of Deleg ...

* Chatham Manor, 1768, Stafford County — home of

William Fitzhugh William Fitzhugh (August 24, 1741June 6, 1809) was an American planter, legislator and patriot during the American Revolutionary War who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress for Virginia in 1779, as well as many terms in the House o ...

Court Manor Court Manor (built as Mooreland Hall) is an early Greek Revival plantation house and estate in Rockingham County, Virginia, located south of the town of New Market. With its stately manor house and prime location in the heart of the Shenandoah ...

, c. 1812, Rockingham County - early Greek-Revival manor house, former home of

Willis Sharpe Kilmer Willis Sharpe Kilmer (October 18, 1869 – July 12, 1940) was a patent medicine manufacturer, newspaperman, horse breeder, and entrepreneur. Biography Willis Kilmer, son of Jonas M. Kilmer and Julia E. Sharpe, was a marketing pioneer, newspape ...

Dodona Manor Dodona Manor, the former home of General George Catlett Marshall (1880–1959), is a National Historic Landmark and historic house museum at 312 East Market Street in Leesburg, Virginia. It is owned by the George C. Marshall International Cent ...

, c. 1805, Loudoun County – home of General

George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the US Army under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry ...

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

, c. 1800, Prince George County - birthplace of

Edmund Ruffin Edmund Ruffin III (January 5, 1794 – June 18, 1865) was a wealthy Virginia planter who served in the Virginia Senate from 1823 to 1827. In the last three decades before the American Civil War, his pro-slavery writings received more attention th ...

Frascati Frascati () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital in the Lazio region of central Italy. It is located south-east of Rome, on the Alban Hills close to the ancient city of Tusculum. Frascati is closely associated wit ...

, 1821, Orange County, - home of U.S. Supreme Court justice Philip P. Barbour *

Ferry Plantation House Ferry Plantation House, or Old Donation Farm, Ferry Farm, Walke Manor House, is a brick house in the neighborhood of Old Donation Farm in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The site dates back to 1642 when Savill Gaskin started the second ferry service ...

c. 1830, Virginia Beach — Civil War Home of USN/CSN Cmdr. Charles Fleming McIntosh
Foxton Cottage
c. 1734, Taylorstown historic district. *

Green Spring Plantation Green Spring Plantation in James City County about west of Williamsburg, was the 17th century plantation of one of the more popular governors of Colonial Virginia in North America, Sir William Berkeley, and his wife, Frances Culpeper Berkel ...

, James City County - home of governor Sir William Berkeley site of

, ruins *

Greenway Plantation Greenway Plantation is a wood-frame, -story plantation house in Charles City County, Virginia. Historic Route 5 and the Virginia Capital Trail bikeway, both of which connect Williamsburg and Richmond pass to slightly south of this private home ...

c. 1776, Charles City County, birthplace U.S. President John Tyler. * The Governor's Palace, Williamsburg - home of Virginia's colonial governors, reconstruction *

Gunston Hall Gunston Hall is an 18th-century Georgian mansion near the Potomac River in Mason Neck, Virginia, United States. Built between 1755 and 1759 as the main residence and headquarters of a plantation, the house was the home of the United State ...

, 1755, Fairfax County — home of

George Mason George Mason (October 7, 1792) was an American planter, politician, Founding Father, and delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, one of the three delegates present who refused to sign the Constitution. His writings, including ...

Hartwood Manor
1848, Hartwood - An unusual example of

Gothic Revival architecture Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th cent ...

, constructed by Julia and Ariel Foote. *

Hidden Springs Hidden Springs is a populated place situated in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, located on U.S. 89 approximately 75 miles north of Flagstaff. It has an estimated elevation of above sea level. The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizo ...

, 1804, Rockingham County — home of the John Hite II
The John Marshall House
1790, Richmond - home of John Marshall *

Hunting Quarter Hunting Quarter is a historic plantation house located near Sussex Court House, Sussex County, Virginia. The main house was built between 1745 and 1772, and is a -story, five bay, single pile, center hall, frame dwelling. It has a gambrel ro ...

, c. 1770s, Sussex County, Virginia, Home of Captain Henry Harrison (c. 1736 – 1772), son of Benjamin Harrison IV of

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

, brother of

and uncle of

. *

Kenmore Plantation Kenmore, also known as Kenmore Plantation, is a plantation house at 1201 Washington Avenue in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Built in the 1770s, it was the home of Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis and is the only surviving structure from the Ke ...

, 1770s, Fredericksburg — home of George Washington's sister Betty Lewis * Kittiewan, c. 1750, Charles City County - home of Dr.

William Rickman Dr. William Rickman (17311783) was a prominent figure in the American Revolution, known best as the first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army in Virginia during the war. History His origin and family life has been the issue of conversat ...

. * Long Branch Plantation, 1811, Clarke County, home of the Nelson family * Lowland Cottage, 1666, Gloucester County - home of Robert Bristow * The Manse, 1846, City of Staunton - birthplace of

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

* Marlbourne, 1840, Hanover County, - home of

* The Matthew Jones House, c. 1725, Newport News *

Maymont Maymont is a 100-acre (0.156 sq mi) Victorian estate and public park in Richmond, Virginia. It contains Maymont Mansion, now a historic house museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature cente ...

, 1893, Richmond - home of James H. Dooley *

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...

, 1768, Albemarle County — home of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...

* Montpelier, c. 1764, Orange County — home of

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for h ...

and a National Trust Historic Site *

Moor Green Moor Green is a historic home located near Brentsville, Prince William County, Virginia. It dates to the early-19th century, and is a two-story, five-bay, Federal style brick residence, with a one-room, two-story ell. It has a standing seam me ...

, 1815, Prince William County - home of Howson Hooe and a National and Virginia designated historic site. * Morven Park, 1781, Loudoun County - home of Governor Westmorland Davis and location of the founding of ''Southern Planter'' (now

Southern Living ''Southern Living'' is a lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in the Southern United States featuring recipes, house plans, garden plans, and information about Southern culture and travel. It is published by Birmingham, Alabama–based Southern Pr ...

) magazine *

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

, 1741, Fairfax County — home of

Lawrence Washington Laurence or Lawrence Washington may refer to: *Laurence Washington (MP for Maidstone) (1546–1619), Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone *Lawrence Washington (1622–1662), MP for Malmesbury *Lawrence Washington (1565–1616), Mayor of Northam ...

and his half-brother

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 ...

North Bend Plantation North Bend Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. It is located along State Route 5, a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of Richmond and Williamsburg. His ...

, 1819, Charles City County - family home of the Harrison family * Oak Hill, 1822, Loudoun County — home of

after

Ash Lawn-Highland Highland, formerly Ash Lawn–Highland, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, and adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, was the estate of James Monroe, a Founding Father and fifth president of the United States. Purchased ...

* Oatlands, 1804, Loudoun County - Plantation belonging to the Carters of Virginia, a National Trust Historic Site *

Old Mansion Old Mansion, originally named "The Bowling Green" by the original landowners, the Hoomes family, is a historic home located in Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia. The house was built around 1741. The original front section is a -story, br ...

, c. 1669, Caroline County - home of the Hoome family * The Peyton Randolph House, 1715, Williamsburg—home of

Peyton Randolph Peyton Randolph (September 10, 1721 – October 22, 1775) was an American politician and planter who was a Founding Father of the United States. Born into Virginia's wealthiest and most powerful family, Randolph served as speaker of Virginia' ...

Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation Piney Grove at Southall's Plantation is a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Holdcroft, Charles City County, Virginia. The scale and character of the collection of domestic architecture at this site recalls the vern ...

, c. 1790, Charles City County - home of the Southall family * Pleasant Point, 1724-1765, Surry County, Patented in 1657 - Home of Edwards Family *

Poplar Forest Poplar Forest is a plantation and plantation house in Forest, Bedford County, Virginia. Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson designed the plantation, and used the property as both a private retreat and a revenue-generating pl ...

, 1806, Bedford County—retreat home of

* Red Hill, reconstruction, Charlotte County – last home and death site of

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first a ...

Rippon Lodge Rippon Lodge is one of the oldest houses remaining in Prince William County, Virginia, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971. Built around 1747 by Richard Blackburn (1705-1757) as the main residence and headquarters ...

, c. 1747, Prince William County — home of the Blackburn family * Rockledge Mansion, built in 1758 by

William Buckland William Buckland DD, FRS (12 March 1784 – 14 August 1856) was an English theologian who became Dean of Westminster. He was also a geologist and palaeontologist. Buckland wrote the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, which he named ' ...

at Occoquan, Prince William County — home of John Ballendine, the founder of Occuquan *

Russell House and Store Russell House and Store is a 19th-century historic building in Dale City, Virginia. A historical marker was erected at the house by the Hechinger Company in 1992, on behalf of the Prince William County Prince William County is located on th ...

, early 19th-century house and store at

Dale City Dale City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Prince William County, Virginia, United States, located 25 miles south west of Washington, D.C. It is an annex of Woodbridge, Virginia. As of 2017, the total population was 73,384. The community is ...

* Sara Myers House, 1790, Old Town District of Fredericksburg * Selma Plantation House, 1811, Loudoun County - Leesburg
Scotchtown
c. 1730, Hanover County — home of

* Seven Springs, c. 1725, King William County — home of the Dabney family *

Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England, famous because of its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood. The area has been wooded since the end of the Last Glacial Period (as attested by pollen sampling cor ...

, c. 1720, Charles City County — home of

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig tick ...

Shirley Plantation Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virgi ...

, 1723, Charles City County — home of the Carter family * Stratford Hall Plantation, 1730, Westmoreland County — home of the Lee family ( Thomas Lee; birthplace of

Richard Henry Lee Richard Henry Lee (January 20, 1732June 19, 1794) was an American statesman and Founding Father from Virginia, best known for the June 1776 Lee Resolution, the motion in the Second Continental Congress calling for the colonies' independence f ...

and Robert E. Lee)
Smith's Fort Plantation
1761, Surry County - home to Jacob Faulcon and his family * Swannanoa, 1912, Augusta County - retreat home of James H. Dooley * Thorpeland, c. 1700s, York County, built on land patented by Christopher Calthorpe in 1631. * Tree Hill, c. 1800, Henrico County, * Upper Brandon, 1825, Prince George County, - home of William Byrd Harrison of the

Harrison family The Harrison family of Virginia is an American family with a history in politics, public service, and religious ministry, beginning in the Colony of Virginia during the 1600’s. Their descendants include a Founding Father of the United States, ...

. * Wakefield, Westmoreland County — birthplace of

, recreation * Westover, c. 1755, Charles City County — family home of the Byrds (

William Byrd II William Byrd II (March 28, 1674August 26, 1744) was an American planter, lawyer, surveyor, author, and a man of letters. Born in Colonial Virginia, he was educated in London, where he practiced law. Upon his father's death, he returned to Virg ...

) *

White House of the Confederacy The White House of the Confederacy is a historic house located in the Court End neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia. Built in 1818, it was the main executive residence of the sole President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, ...

, 1818, Richmond - Used as President Jefferson Davis's executive mansion during the Civil War *

Wilton House Wilton House is an English country house at Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire, which has been the country seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 400 years. It was built on the site of the medieval Wilton Abbey. Following the dissolution ...

, 1753, Richmond — home of the Randolph family ( William Randolph III) * Wilton Plantation, 1763, Middlesex — home of the Churchill family * Woodlawn, 1805, Fairfax County — home of George Washington's niece and nephew, and a National Trust Historic Site *

Wythe House The Wythe House is a historic house on the Palace Green in Colonial Williamsburg, in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. Built in the 1750s, it was the home of George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence and father of American jurisprudence ...

, 1754, Williamsburg — home of

George Wythe George Wythe (; December 3, 1726 – June 8, 1806) was an American academic, scholar and judge who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The first of the seven signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence from ...

References

Houses in Virginia A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

Virginia culture

Historic houses History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

List of historic houses in Virginia

See also

References