Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 05/13/1969
NRHP Listing Date 11/25/1969
NRHP Reference Number 69000220
Wigwam was the home of William Branch Giles (1762-1830), who served Virginia in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and was elected governor in 1827. Giles was also a member of the convention that revised the Virginia Constitution in 1830. His Amelia County seat of Wigwam preserves its unusually attractive two-part dwelling, the original portion of which is the 18th-century rear ell. The story -and-a-half front section was added in 1815 and contains highly individualized Federal woodwork. Giles began a boys’ school at Wigwam in ca. 1825. A school was continued here following its purchase by the Harrison family. The house survived without significant alteration but stood unoccupied for many years. Wigwam underwent a major restoration in 1990-94.
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: November 3, 2022
