Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 02/15/1977
NRHP Listing Date 12/08/1976
NHL Listing Date 12/08/1976
NRHP Reference Number 76002112
General William “Billy” Mitchell (1879-1936) made his home at the Northern Virginia estate of Boxwood from 1926 until his death ten years later. During his military career, Mitchell became the foremost advocate of air power as an essential element in the nation’s defense. He foresaw that the airplane would replace the battleship as the military’s most effective weapon. Frustrated by the official indifference to his ideas, he accused the military establishment of “almost treasonable administration of national defense.” His resulting court martial received nationwide attention and won him considerable public sympathy. The Fauquier County estate to which Mitchell and his wife moved after his court-martial consists of an 1826 stone house built for William Swart which the Mitchells enlarged by adding a wing. The architecturally-inviting home, located in the Little River Rural Historic District, remains essentially as it was when the famous challenger of conventional military wisdom lived here.
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: April 13, 2021
