Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 02/20/1973
NRHP Listing Date 08/14/1973
NRHP Reference Number 73002024
The Stone House, called by James Galt Williamson in 1838 “one of the most antique buildings in the country,” has been the subject of local lore for over two centuries. Built of stone in an isolated location and in difficult topography, the structure has been claimed to be everything from a stronghold associated with Nathaniel Bacon’s rebellion to the storehouse for Blackbeard’s plunder. The building had fallen into ruin by the time of Edmund Ruffin’s visit in 1841. A sketch of the ruin (shown) appeared in Henry Howe’s Historical Collections of Virginia (1845). Parts of its walls survived into this century. A 1972 survey by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources identified the foundations, which are of uncut sandstone two feet thick. More extensive archaeological investigation might solve the mystery of this intriguing structure.
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 18, 2021
