Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/18/2003
NRHP Listing Date 10/23/2003
NRHP Reference Number 03001094
Birdwood is a unique dwelling originally built between 1819 and 1830 as the plantation home of William Garth, one of the leading planters of antebellum Albemarle County. The house exhibits many of the characteristics common to buildings at the University of Virginia (UVA) and other structures known to have been built by Thomas Jefferson’s builders. The immediate grounds surrounding the Birdwood mansion contain four dependencies including a brick smokehouse and office with a basement icehouse. The main house is also significant for its Colonial Revival additions undertaken by Charles Edgar and Hollis Rinehart, both prominent Charlottesville citizens. Their work included an extension of the house, a distinctive water tower designed in the form of a light house, and gardens. The property is now owned by UVA and has been converted to a golf course.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: September 30, 2021
