Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/21/1981
NRHP Listing Date 02/24/1983
NRHP Reference Number 83003311
Woodford is an example of Virginia’s transitional vernacular architecture, combining features of the simple cottages of early colonial times with more formal, symmetrical qualities of the Georgian style. The cottage-like aspect is emphasized by the quaint silhouette of the clipped-gable roof, a roof form popular in 18th-century Northern Neck houses. Woodford’s traditional hall-parlor plan incorporates the central passage associated with Georgian plans. The otherwise formal exterior has irregularly spaced openings that reflect the unevenness of the room sizes. The house was built between 1756 and 1773 for Billington McCarty, Jr., whose family had owned the Richmond County property since 1661. The stair has an unusual banister, at first appearing to have upside-down balusters but actually following sophisticated English precedents. Rare survivals are the remnants of interior clapboarding used here as a cheap, practical second-floor wall and ceiling finish.
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: June 18, 2021
