Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 10/16/1979
NRHP Listing Date 12/28/1979
NRHP Reference Number 79003058
The inland New Kent County farm of Cedar Grove was acquired in 1789 by Robert Christian, who represented the county in the Virginia General Assembly. The present house, erected for Christian ca. 1810 as an addition to an 18th-century farmhouse, is a rural adaptation of the Richmond town house. Like its urban counterparts, the house has a side-passage plan and its façade employs Flemish-bond brickwork and a modillion cornice. Also, like many Richmond town houses, Cedar Grove had stuccoed lintels, but they have been filled in with modern brickwork. Christian’s daughter Letitia, born at Cedar Grove in the earlier house, was the first wife of President John Tyler. She died in the White House in 1842 and was buried in the Cedar Grove cemetery. The original frame section of the house was replaced by the present wing in 1916.
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
