Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/16/1980
NRHP Listing Date 07/08/1982
NRHP Reference Number 82004669
In Falling Spring Valley, with a backdrop of wooded mountains, the Massie House is Alleghany County’s chief example of the Federal style, and is probably the area’s oldest formal dwelling. The two-story house with pedimented gables was completed in 1826 for Henry Massie, a planter who served as one of Alleghany’s first magistrates. The decorative fanlight entrance incorporates Massie’s initials in its tracery. Its interior woodwork consists of a finely-executed stair, cupboards, mantels, and wainscoting. The house was restored by the mid-1990s after standing unoccupied for many years and is still owned by the Massie family today.
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: July 22, 2021
