Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/17/1973
NRHP Listing Date 10/03/1973
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 73002064
The conspicuously placed dwelling at Carlton is one of several large old houses crowning the heights around Falmouth and Fredericksburg in Stafford County. The exterior follows a standard Georgian format, employing a five-bay façade and hipped roof. Most of Carlton’s original exterior and interior fabric survives, including a large built-in glass-door cupboard in the dining room. The stair rail is terminated at the newel with a vertical spiral or ram’s horn carving. Located at the edge of a steep promontory directly overlooking Falmouth, Carlton was the home of John Short, a local merchant who had the house built ca. 1785 after his marriage to Judith Ball of Lancaster County. Adding to Carlton’s historic ambience are three original outbuildings: a kitchen/laundry, dairy, and smokehouse.
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 11, 2022
