Bacon’s Castle is the oldest brick dwelling in North America and was built for Arthur Allen and his family in 1665. Originally known as Allen’s Brick House, it earned the moniker “Bacon’s Castle” in 1676 when several of Nathaniel Bacon’s men occupied the home for four months during the uprising that became known as Bacon’s Rebellion.

Bacon’s Castle is a rare example of High Jacobean architecture. The home features a reconstructed 17th-century English formal garden restored by the Garden Club of Virginia. Several outbuildings also survive, including an 1830 slave dwelling.

Preservation Virginia acquired Bacon’s Castle in the 1970’s at auction and meticulously researched, restored and furnished the house in the 1980’s.

 African American History at Bacon’s Castle

The Black history connected to Bacon’s Castle “is incredibly rich. It is filled with stories of the families that were built under enslavement, the experiences of those who risked their lives to fight against the institution of slavery, and the people who created new lives and tight family units, which grew during the Reconstruction era and into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.” African American historian and genealogist, Peighton Young,

To read more about Bacon’s Castle’s African American history, Click Here. And for more in-depth information, and primary source material please email us at baconscastle@preservationvirginia.org

We have only begun to study the history of the Black presence here. We aim “to build strong relationships with the descendants of Bacon’s Castle, collect oral histories, and present the individual stories that truly highlight the African American experience at Bacon’s Castle from 1665 to 1972. Moving forward, we hope to continue to be able to provide a detailed context for how these people lived and how they viewed their lives at Bacon’s Castle.”

We value Bacon’s Castle’s African American community’s history and would love for you to be a part of the process of gathering more information about the Black presence at Bacon’s Castle. If you are a descendant of Bacon’s Castle or a member of the community and would like to share your family’s history or your knowledge of the African American history at Bacon’s Castle, please contact us at baconscastle@preservationvirginia.org or 757.357.5976