Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 05/20/1975
NRHP Listing Date 05/30/1976
NRHP Reference Number 76002109
Built in 1757 by Charles Binns, Sr., first clerk of the circuit court of Loudoun County, Rokeby is the place where the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were stored for safekeeping in 1814 during the British occupation of Washington. The hallowed documents were kept in a still-intact vaulted room in the cellar. Rokeby is the largest and most formal colonial house in the region. Much of its original Georgian character was changed in 1836 when, in the course of an extensive renovation by its owner, Benjamin Shreve, Jr., the clipped gables were removed, the windows were remodeled, and the interior trim was replaced. The house was enlarged in 1886 with an extensive rear addition and was returned somewhat to its early appearance during a 1958 restoration.
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 19, 2021
