Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/19/1990
NRHP Listing Date 12/28/1990
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 90001996
The rich scenery of Rappahannock County provides a matchless setting for this early homestead. A farm has existed here since the 18th century. The present house was erected in 1812, following the 1805 purchase of the property by John Dearing, an officer in the Fauquier County militia during the Revolution. The symmetrical Federal-style dwelling has an indigenous quality with its walls constructed of native fieldstone. Dearing and his family maintained a gentry lifestyle here, owning more than twenty slaves and nine horses. Typical of upper-class farmhouses, the house was served by an outdoor kitchen, which, though now connected to the main house by a sheltered passageway, is the only remaining early outbuilding. The house stood derelict for some fifteen years and was restored in 1963-64. Interior modifications were made but much original woodwork, including Federal mantels, remained.
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: February 17, 2022
