Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/18/1978
NRHP Listing Date 09/20/1978
NRHP Reference Number 78003020
Although antebellum Halifax County was dotted with small farm complexes, the area also saw the establishment of vast plantations with architecturally sophisticated houses. John R. Edmunds, owner of 1,110 acres on Birch Creek, was able to build an Italian Villa-style mansion at Redfield with money he earned from the sale of grain to Russia in the Crimean War. The house, with its formal façade, bracketed cornice, and low wings connected by arched openings, was completed in 1857 and follows the prescription for a “small Villa in the Classical manner” promoted by Andrew Jackson Downing in The Architecture of Country Houses (1850). Emphasizing this formality on the interior is a monumental single-run central stair dominating the entrance hall. Edmunds, in addition to being a successful planter, was an advocate of reconciliation during Reconstruction. His handsomely restored house at Redfield remained owned by his descendants through the end of the 20th century.
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: May 4, 2023
