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Historic Properties in Virginia

From stately homes to quiet churchyards, from the seats of government to agricultural and commercial centers, learn about history as it was lived through visiting the historic sites of Preservation Virginia.

Cape Henry Lighthouse Historic Jamestowne Bacon’s Castle Mary Washington House Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown Smith’s Fort Plantation Eastville Courthouse Buildings Farmers’ Bank Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop Isle of Wight Courthouse Old Stone House Rising Sun Tavern The John Marshall House Smithfield Plantation Accomac Debtor’s Prison Cole Digges House Walter Reed Birthplace Pear Valley Cub Creek Church Site St. James’ House Thomas Read’s Clerk’s Office Warner Hall Graveyard
Cape Henry Lighthouse

Cape Henry Lighthouse (1792)

Today the old Cape Henry Lighthouse silently guards the entry way into the Chesapeake Bay. Standing near the spot where in 1607 Captain Newport raised a cross to offer thanks for their safe crossing of the Atlantic, the Lighthouse is opened to the public.

Historic Jamestowne

Historic Jamestowne (1607)

Historic Jamestowne is the site of the first permanent English settlement in America. The site is jointly administered by Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service.

Bacon’s Castle

Bacon’s Castle (1665)

With its cruciform shape, triple chimneys and curvilinear gables, Bacon's Castle is a rare surviving example of Jacobean architecture in America.

Mary Washington House

Mary Washington House (1760)

In 1772, George Washington purchased a house from Michael Robinson in Fredericksburg, Virginia for his mother. Mary Ball Washington spent her last seventeen years in this comfortable home.

Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown

Patrick Henry’s Scotchtown (1719)

Patrick Henry, orator of the American Revolution and first governor of Virginia, made his home at Scotchtown from 1771 to 1778.

Smith’s Fort Plantation

Smith’s Fort Plantation (1761)

Nestled on the south side of the James River, Smith's Fort Plantation offers a quiet refuge from the bustle of everyday life.

Eastville Courthouse Buildings

Eastville Courthouse Buildings (1731)

The old Courthouse(1731), Clerk's Office(1731), and Prison(1814) from a remarkable assemblage of early Virginia Court buildings.

Farmers’ Bank

Farmers’ Bank (1817)

One of the nation's only bank museums, the Farmers' Bank was incorporated in 1812 and opened its Petersburg branch in 1817. The three-story Federal structure became a frequent gathering place for the Petersburg community.

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop

Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop (1771)

This eighteenth-century building was restored to house the Hugh Mercer Apothecary. Dr. Mercer served the citizens of Fredericksburg with medicines and treatments of the time.

Isle of Wight Courthouse

Isle of Wight Courthouse (1750)

Once typical of courthouses across Virginia, this is one of only four remaining arcaded colonial court buildings. Built in 1750, it features a distinctive semi-circular apse popular in English churches of the era.

Old Stone House

Old Stone House (1754)

Reputedly the oldest residential dwelling in Richmond, this modest house is now surrounded by the Shockoe Valley commercial district.

Rising Sun Tavern

Rising Sun Tavern (1760)

Built by Charles Washington around 1760 as his home, this frame building became a tavern in 1792, operating in the bustling town of Fredericksburg.

The John Marshall House

The John Marshall House (1790)

John Marshall built his home in Richmond in 1790, eleven years prior to becoming the fourth Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Smithfield Plantation

Smithfield Plantation (1773)

Built on the edge of the frontier wilderness, Smithfield offered a last vestige of civilization as frontiersman traveled west.

Accomac Debtor’s Prison

Accomac Debtor’s Prison (1782)

A rare survivor of penal architecture of the colonial period, this building was constructed in 1782.

Cole Digges House

Cole Digges House (1805)

Cole Digges, a Revolutionary War hero, built his house in Richmond in 1805. Renovated in 1995, the building now houses the statewide offices of Preservation Virginia.

Walter Reed Birthplace

Walter Reed Birthplace (1850)

Dr. Walter Reed, famous U. S. Army physician and medical hero of the Spanish-American War, was born here on September 13, 1851.

Pear Valley

Pear Valley (1740)

Pear Valley represents a rare survival of what was once a common building type in rural Virginia. This yeoman planter's cottage has been dated by dendrochronology to 1740.

Cub Creek Church Site

Cub Creek Church Site (1738)

A granite marker and bronze tablet commemorate the site of Cub Creek Church, one of the most important sites for Presbyterianism in America.

St. James’ House

St. James’ House (1760's)

The St. James' House at 1300 Charles Street was built around 1768 and is one of the few eighteenth-century frame houses still standing in Fredericksburg.

Thomas Read’s Clerk’s Office

Thomas Read’s Clerk’s Office (1820)

A reconstruction of the office of Thomas Read, first clerk appointed in Charlotte County in 1770. The small brick Clerk's Office currently serves as the Charlotte County Museum.

Warner Hall Graveyard

Warner Hall Graveyard (Third Quarter 17th Century)

Site of the tombs of Augustine Warner and members of the Warner and Lewis Families. Among the descendants of Warner are George Washington and Robert E. Lee.