Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 08/15/1972
NRHP Listing Date 09/22/1972
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 72001395
Named for a large spring on the Gloucester County property, Roaring Springs is an old Virginia homestead that has evolved through enlargements and remodelings by its various owners. The western end began as a colonial-period, one-room cottage with a side passage, possibly as an overseer’s house for Church Hill, a Throckmorton family plantation. In 1794 it was sold to Francis Thornton, who expanded the house to its present form before 1802. Notable features of the enlargement are the stair with its beaded, diagonally set balusters, and the parlor fireplace wall with its fine paneling and arched openings. The stair and paneling are very similar to woodwork in Toddsbury, also in Gloucester County, suggesting common craftsmen. Roaring Springs was further remodeled in the mid-19th century when Greek Revival doors and window trim were installed.
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 8, 2023
