List of the oldest buildings in Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: List of the oldest buildings in the United States

This article attempts to list the oldest extant buildings in the state of Virginia.

Building Image Location First Built Notes
Jamestown Church Jamestown 2007 07 03.jpg Jamestown, Virginia finished by 1647 church tower and foundations are all that remain from the earliest period 1639-1647.[1]
Belleville Ware Neck, Virginia 1658 c. It seems little research has been conducted on this historic plantation. Some traditional sources,[2] as well as the Virginia Department of Historic Resources ascribe a date of 1658.
Broad Bay Manor Broad Bay Manor 2017.jpg Virginia Beach 1640 c. or 1660 c. Purportedly the oldest extant European-built house in the southeastern United States. Built by Thomas Allen either c.1640 [3] or c. 1660 [4] on land granted to him by Governor Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. The small center portion of what is now a much larger structure, it was primarily constructed from Flemish bond brick. Corroborative dating efforts have not been performed. It has always been a private residence. It is located in the Broad Bay Colony part of northeastern Virginia Beach.[5]
Bacon's Castle Bacons Castle 2006.jpg Surry County, Virginia 1665 associated with Bacon's Rebellion
Warwick Accomack County, Virginia 1673
St. Mary's, Whitechapel St marys whitechapel.jpg Lancaster, Virginia 1675
Lowland Cottage Ware Neck, Virginia 1676
Winona Winona HABS VA1.jpg Bridgetown, Virginia 1681 The only known 17th-century house in the country, other than Bacon's Castle in Surry County, to have diagonally-placed triple-chimney stacks.
St. Luke's Church St. Luke's Church, Isle of Wight County, VA.jpg Smithfield, Virginia ca. 1682 a recent dendrochronology study confirms the preponderance of other research pointing to early 1680s construction.
Ravenswood Accomac, Virginia 1683 Also known as the Custis-Valentine house. Very little information regarding this building exists, however it is reportedly very old. Date of construction is derived from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
Foster's Castle Fosters Castle.JPG Tunstall, Virginia 1685-1690
Building east of main house at Elsing Green Tunstall, Virginia 1690
Criss Cross Criss-Cross, State Route 617 vicinity, New Kent vicinity (New Kent County, Virginia).jpg New Kent, Virginia 1690 Restored in 1953, similar to Foster's Castle nearby.
Nelson-Galt House Williamsburg, Virginia 1695 Dendrochronology provided a date that preceded tradition. Chances are the structure was moved about ten years after its initial construction to the new city of Williamsburg.
Grace Church Grace Church Yorktown Virginia by Frances Benjamin Johnston.jpg Yorktown, Virginia 1697
The Hermitage Hermitage house va beach 9 2012 (1).JPG Virginia Beach, Virginia 1700
Belle Air Plantation Charles City County, Virginia ca. 1700
John Weblin House Weblin house va beach 9 2012.JPG Virginia Beach 1700
Westerhouse House Northampton County, Virginia ca. 1700
Wren Building Rear view of the Wren Building, College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA (2008-04-23).jpg Williamsburg, Virginia 1700 Oldest school building in America, original College of William and Mary structure[6]
St. Peter's Church St. Peter's Church, State Route 642, Tunstall vicinity (New Kent County, Virginia).jpg New Kent, Virginia 1703 Church of Martha Washington, George and Martha Washington may have been married here
Yeocomico Church YeocomicoChurch.jpg Tucker Hill, Virginia 1706 National Historic Landmark
Bruton Parish Church Bruton Parish Church Williamsburg, Virginia 1715 Church established in 1674, current structure completed in 1715
Ware Parish Church Ware Church, State Route 3, Gloucester vicinity (Gloucester County, Virginia).jpg Gloucester Courthouse, Virginia 1718 Episcopal Church. Previously thought to have been constructed in 1690, mortar samples give a date of 1718 [7]
Brush-Everard House Williamsburg, Virginia 1718
Adam Thoroughgood House AdamThoroughgoodHouse1969.jpg Virginia Beach, Virginia ca. 1719 despite earlier claims, actually dates to c. 1719 [8]
brafferton Williamsburg, Virginia 1723 Opened in 1723 as the Indian school for the College of William & Mary, restored in 1930-31, now serving as the president and provost office
Abingdon Glebe House Abingdon Glebe House, U.S. Route 17 vicinity, Gloucester vicinity Gloucester County, Virginia).jpg Gloucester, Virginia Before 1724[9]
Lynnhaven House Virginia Beach, Virginia 1725 [10]
Rural Plains Rural Plains, 7273 Studley Road (State Route 606), Richmond National Battlefield Park (Hanover County, Virginia).jpg Hanover County, Virginia ca. 1725 Oldest home in America continuously occupied by one family; site of Patrick Henry's wedding
Berkeley Plantation Berkeley plantation harrison home.jpg Charles City County, Virginia 1726 Plantation established in 1619.
Matthew Jones House Matthew Jones House facade.jpg Newport News, Virginia 1727
Willowdale Painter, Virginia 1728[11] On the Eastern Shore of Virginia
Indian Banks Indian Banks, State Route 606, Tidewater vicinity (Richmond County, Virginia).jpg Simonson, Virginia 1728
Margots Tettington ca. 1700-1729
Seven Springs Plantation Snowy Seven Springs.jpg Enfield, Virginia ca. 1725-1740
President's House Williamsburg, Virginia 1733 Part of the Wren Yard architectures, along with Wren and Brafferton Buildings, now the residence of the president of the College of William & Mary
Adam Keeling House Adam Keeling House.jpg Virginia Beach, Virginia 1735
Toddsbury Toddsbury, Nuttal vicinity, Gloucester County, Virginia. Entrance.jpg Gloucester County, Virginia 1735 Tradition has suggested the home was built about 1670, however, recent excavations have yielded a mid-1700s construction date.
New Kent Ordinary New Kent Ordinary is the second brick structure from the right. New Kent, Virginia 1736
Shirley Plantation
Shirley Plantation 2006.jpg
 Charles City County, Virginia 1738 Construction started in 1723. Plantation dates to 1614. Oldest family-owned business in North America
St. George's Church (Pungoteague, Virginia) Saint Georges Episcopal Church Pungoteague.jpg Pungoteague, Virginia 1738 Oldest church on Virginia's eastern shore
Old Stone House (Richmond, Virginia) PoeEntrance.jpg Richmond, Virginia 1740 Home of Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Lansdowne Lansdowne, Urbanna, Virginia.JPG Urbanna, Virginia c. 1740
Bel Air Plantation Bel Air Platation Today.jpg Prince William County, Virginia 1740 Oldest home in Prince William County, Virginia
Old Mansion Old Mansion, State Route 2 vicinity, Bowling Green (Caroline County, Virginia).jpg Caroline County, Virginia ca. 1741 Tree ring analysis of some beams yielded a date of 1741
Merchant's Hope Church Merchant's hope south.jpg Prince George County, Virginia ca. 1743 Despite earlier claims of 1657, a recent dendrochronological survey affirmed a date of 1743.
St. John's Episcopal Church St. John's Church in Richmond, VA (2011) IMG 4046.JPG Richmond, Virginia 1744
Middlesex County Courthouse Old Middlesex County Courthouse.jpg Urbanna, Virginia 1745
Aquia Church
Stafford, Virginia ca. 1750 Mid-18th-century church
Wormeley Cottage Wormeley Cottage.jpg Urbanna, Virginia ca. 1750
Pear Valley Pear Valley.jpg Eastville, Virginia ca. 1750
Hewick Plantation Hewick House, State Routes 615 & 602 vicinity, Urbanna vicinity (Middlesex County, Virginia).jpg Urbanna, Virginia Mid-18th Century[12]
Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Estate Mansion 2.JPG Fairfax County, Virginia 1758 Home of George Washington
Sandwich Sandwich cottage, Urbanna.jpg Urbanna, Virginia 1758
James Mills Storehouse James Mills Storehouse HABS VA1.jpg Urbanna, Virginia 1763-1767
Sessions-Pope-Sheild House Sessions-Pope-Sheild House.jpg Yorktown, Virginia ca. 1766 Recent Research suggests a date of around 1766, previously thought to have been built around 1691.
The Falls Church Falls Church (Episcopal), 115 East Fairfax Street, Falls Church, Falls Church, VA HABS VA,30-FALCH,1-2.tif Falls Church, Virginia 1769 The oldest house of worship in Virginia north of Quantico, completed by undertaker James Wren and received as finished by the vestry on December 20, 1769. Wren's plan was also used (with modifications) for Christ Church in Alexandria and Pohick Church in Lorton.
Morven Park Morven Park, Leesburg VA-1.jpg Leesburg, Virginia ca. 1780 The home of Virginia Governor Westmoreland Davis. The earliest parts of the structure date from circa 1780 and was substantially expanded in the decades that followed. It is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Marmion Marmion, State Route 649 vicinity, Comorn vicinity (King George County, Virginia).jpg Comorn, Virginia ca. 1790 Reputedly contains the remains of a much older cottage built by colonel William Fitzhugh in about 1670.[13]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Historic Churches of America" – Page 8 by Nellie Urner Wallington (1907)
  2. ^ "Belleville HABS VA No. 994" (PDF). Historic American Buildings Survey. US National Park Service. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  3. ^ Dr. Stephen Mansfield; et al., eds. (2008). "50 Most Significantly Historic Houses and Structures in Virginia Beach" (PDF). Virginia Beach Historical Preservation Partnership, City of Virginia Beach Historic Resources Office. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  4. ^ "Virginia Beach Public Library's Digital Archives". Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  5. ^ "Old Donation Church Old Homes". blog. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  6. ^ Architecture and Town Planning in Colonial North America – Page 697 by James D. Kornwolf, Georgiana Wallis Kornwolf (2002)
  7. ^ http://www.warechurch.org/The_History_of_Ware_Church/Church_History/[dead link]
  8. ^ "Thoroughgood, Adam, House". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
  9. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form" (PDF). September 15, 1970. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  10. ^ "Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory". Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  12. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources - Hewick. July 18, 1978. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  13. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form" (PDF). February 26, 1970. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
Retrieved from ""