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 82004668
One of the earliest of Alleghany County’s pioneer dwellings, this house was built by Jacob Persinger, member of a settler family. Persinger as a child was captured by a group of Native Americans and later adopted many of their cultural practices. After he married Mary Kimberlin in 1778, she refused to conform to his way of living, so he built her the present house, reported to be the finest in the county at the time. The Persinger House was enlarged to its present form with its two-level gallery ca. 1888. The original log section is an interesting vernacular structure retaining numerous original features, including a finely joined vertical board partition with beveled joints. It has a hall/parlor plan, a standard one for 18th-century Virginia vernacular dwellings.
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
