Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/20/1989
NRHP Listing Date 11/13/1989
NRHP Reference Number 89001816
The house built ca. 1810 for James Charlton carries with an aura of great age. Charlton, proprietor of 1500 acres and a slave-owner, employed log construction for what is a unique surviving example in Montgomery County of a double-pile log house devoid of a center passage. Such a room arrangement suggests a Germanic influence which may stem from the fact that Charlton was a native of Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County. The double-pile plan is reflected in the pair of stone end chimneys (the rooms opposite have no heat source). Like many early log houses, this one was sheathed in weatherboards and sections of early beaded weatherboarding remain. The exterior underwent remodeling in the mid-19th century when it received its bracketed cornice and scalloped bargeboards. The stone chimney of an original kitchen remains along with several later outbuildings.
The James Charlton Farm was listed in the registers under the Prehistoric and Historic Resources of Montgomery County MPD.
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: September 2, 2021
