Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/16/2011
NRHP Listing Date 09/29/2011
NRHP Reference Number 11000715
Designed in 1925 for Mary Leigh Suhling by noted Lynchburg architects Pendleton S. Clark and Walter S. Crow, Hanshill is a rare and remarkably intact example of an early twentieth century Rustic Revival style summer retreat home in Virginia‟s Piedmont province. Used as a seasonal vacation lodge for the Suhling Family and guests for over 85 years, the building features custom-designed iron hardware, rustic details such as balustrades of sticks and logs, and stained vertical board and batten siding both on exterior and interior walls. In the early 20th century, the property also served as the first semi-permanent summer camp for white girls organized by the Young Women‟s Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) of Lynchburg. In Virginia at this time, the Y.W.C.A., its programs and camps held on the Hanshill property or elsewhere were not integrated. Between 1918 and 1922, camp activities centered around Rough House, the original log cabin on the property. Camp Suhling (also referred to as “Camp Chummy Suhling” or “Camp Merry Minglers”) was specifically geared towards members of the Y.W.C.A.‟s “Industrial Girls” club, which aimed to provide fresh air, “middle-class values”, better working conditions, and a Christian environment to young white female employees of Lynchburg‟s factories.
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: August 26, 2021
