Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
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VLR Listing Date 09/09/1969
NRHP Listing Date 10/15/1966
NHL Listing Date 12/19/1960
NRHP Reference Number 66000832
Gunston Hall, located on Mason Neck in southern Fairfax County, was the home of Revolutionary patriot George Mason, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and much of the Constitution of Virginia. Mason’s home overlooking the Potomac River is one of the nation’s most noted examples of colonial architecture. The compact exterior was constructed ca. 1755. The extraordinarily rich interiors including a rare Chinese-style dining room, were designed by William Buckland, a skilled English architect and joiner. The masterful carving and other detailing was crafted by William Bernard Sears, one of Buckland’s artisans. The house and its extensive formal gardens present one of America’s most elegant expressions of colonial taste. The Gunston Hall property was given to the Commonwealth by Louis Hertle in 1932. Since his death in 1949, Gunston Hall has been a museum and has undergone long-term restoration under the patronage of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
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: March 17, 2023
