Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 10/17/1972
NRHP Listing Date 04/02/1973
NRHP Reference Number 73001992
Haw Branch is an outstanding example of Southside Virginia Federal architecture, one of the finest plantation houses in the region. The house received its present form in the early 19th century under its owner John Tabb, a burgess, whose father, Thomas Tabb, assembled the Amelia County plantation before 1745. An earlier house was incorporated in the west wing. The Haw Branch property’s name was derived from the nearby stream lined with hawthorne trees. The most striking feature of the house is its elaborate interior woodwork carved with regionally interpreted Adamesque motifs, including urns, swags, hawthorne blossoms, and sunbursts. Haw Branch passed by inheritance to Tabb’s daughter and descended thereafter to daughters. The Haw Branch grounds preserve a row of early outbuildings, all with clipped gable roofs. The house was restored in the latter part of the 20th century by a descendant of Thomas Tabb, who purchased the property in 1965.
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: February 16, 2023
