Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/11/2002
NRHP Listing Date 11/27/2002
NRHP Reference Number 02001448
Spring Hill is a well-preserved example of a typical, center-hall-plan, Tidewater farmhouse. While initially thought to have been built about 1782, more recent architectural analysis estimates the construction date to be ca. 1818. Spring Hill, built by Richard C. Graves, retains its original Flemish-bond, double-shouldered end chimneys, weatherboards, and trim. The interior is equally well preserved with original flooring, woodwork, paneling, and plaster walls. An early frame smokehouse sits in the yard. This New Kent County property was previously known as Indian Fields (until it was changed to Spring Hill sometime between 1835 and 1840). Col. Richard C. Graves (1772-1835) was a descendant of Thomas Graves, who arrived in Virginia on the Mary and Margaret in 1608. Col. Graves and his wife, the former Elizabeth Valentine, were the proprietors of a racetrack, stables, and a hotel on the property, and Graves served in the Virginia General Assembly in 1822. The property passed out of Graves family ownership in 1863.
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: July 7, 2021
