Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/21/2012
NRHP Listing Date 08/22/2012
NRHP Reference Number 12000543
Riverlawn was designed and built by Heron Murray in 1874, and has served alternately as a vacation home and full-time private family residence since. Located near Williams Wharf in Mathews County on a scenic lot overlooking the East River. Riverlawn functioned most notably as the home of Mathews County treasurer and commissioner, John J. Burke III, who resided there with his wife from 1917 to 1931. While Burke lived there, he was active in local and regional finance and politics, served as director of the Bank of Mathews and was the publisher of the Mathews Journal. The late 19th-century exterior and interior design and details of the house remained unchanged until 1929 when J.J. Burke made the only substantial alterations.
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 21, 2023
