Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 04/17/1991
NRHP Listing Date 07/03/1991
NRHP Reference Number 91000831
Employing forms of uncompromising simplicity, this hall/parlor dwelling in Greensville County is a reminder that large landowners of the early Republic oftentimes shunned architectural ostentation, concentrating on their crops rather than on domestic luxuries. Structural investigation suggests that Alexander Batte, owner of several tracts, constructed the house in two building campaigns between 1815 and 1835, the east section being the oldest. The floor levels of the two sections are different and the trim of each section has subtle differences. Contrasting with the plainness of the wooden elements are the massive fieldstone chimneys and foundations which have recently been rebuilt because of deteriorated mortar. Such small houses were once a common element of the landscape but few have survived in this region. The Alexander Watson Batte House, together with a nearby antebellum barn, offers an intriguing look at a regional early 19th-century farmstead.
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 24, 2021
