Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/19/1978
NRHP Listing Date 05/21/1979
NRHP Reference Number 79003051
Flat Rock’s interestingly evolved Lunenburg County plantation house is a study in local vernacular building traditions. The oldest part was erected in the late 18th century for James Hooper using a two-story, side-passage plan format. The Chambers family added an east room just before 1820. In 1855 Flat Rock became the property of Robert S. Bagley, during whose tenure a second story was put on the east room and one-story wings were added, making a relatively large, formal house out of a formerly unpretentious one. A stylish note of this later enlargement is the unusual hexagonal chimney stacks placed atop the older chimneys. The interior woodwork is almost completely intact and reflects the various changes. On the grounds are a rare plank smokehouse and a large, granite-lined ice pit. Carefully restored in recent years, Flat Rock remained in the ownership of Robert Bagley’s descendants at 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 26, 2022
