Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 04/18/1978
NRHP Listing Date 11/17/1978
NRHP Reference Number 78003004
Dating from the early 1820s, the Farmer house is a large wood-frame I-house probably erected for Nelson Farmer whose family patented the property before 1750. Characterized by a center-passage, single-pile plan, the I-house was a popular form of two-story house design for comfortably situated but not wealthy planters of middle Virginia. The form was derived from the symmetrical 18th-century Georgian style and spread through the South and Middle West in the 19th century. The Farmer house stands out from numerous contemporaries because it preserves nearly all of its original fabric, including beaded weatherboards, front porch, stair, Federal mantels, and other trim. The tall chimneys show the high level of workmanship achieved by the region’s masons. The house stood in deteriorated condition for many years but was restored in the 1970s.
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 4, 2021
