054-5018 Duke House

For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 06/06/2007

NRHP Listing Date 08/16/2007

NRHP Reference Number 07000830

The Duke House is a fine example of a well-built, late-18th-century rural dwelling that is now rare. Built about 1792, the one-and-a-half-story house features handsome interior woodwork, including a full-height paneled chimneypiece in the parlor as well as built-in corner cupboards. The house was once part of the vast landholdings of Cleavers Duke, Sr., whose family remained on the property until 1825. Under the Duke family and the immediate subsequent owners, the property was used for general farming purposes, though under the mid-19th-century owners it was transformed into a tobacco plantation, worked at one point by more than 30 slaves. A one-story kitchen wing was likely added in the early 20th century. The property also contains a former workshop and a small cemetery containing one historic grave marker, though other unmarked graves may be present.

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 14, 2021