Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 01/16/1973
NRHP Listing Date 05/11/1973
NRHP Reference Number 73002043
Virginia’s few surviving Stuart-period houses generally follow traditional English vernacular forms of earlier decades and show little classical influence. Criss Cross, an engaging small manor house in rural New Kent County, reveals this phenomenon most clearly. Named for its cross-shaped plan, the story-and-half house, erected ca. 1690 for George Poindexter, is dominated by a two-story projection containing the entrance and chamber above. A ca. 1790 rear wing may have replaced an original stair tower that would have made the house cross-shaped originally. Irregularities in the brickwork tell of other alterations. Inside Criss Cross are rare exposed framing members and decorative details. Illustrating the persistence of traditional forms in remote areas is the decidedly postmedieval quality of the scroll carving on the post supporting a large summer beam and the paneling of the entrance vestibule doors.
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 23, 2023
