Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 04/17/1990
NRHP Listing Date 02/26/1992
NRHP Reference Number 90002135
An elegant specimen of late Georgian architecture, highlighted by a finely detailed porch, the Sentry Box was built in 1786 for Gen. George Weedon, a distinguished Revolutionary War officer. During the Yorktown campaign Weedon and his Virginia troops held Lord Cornwallis in check at Gloucester Point. Later active in local government, Weedon served as mayor of Fredericksburg. Weedon named his home in the city “The Sentry Box” out of nostalgia for his military career. He and his wife, a sister-in-law of Gen. Hugh Mercer, befriended Mercer’s family and invited them to live at the Sentry Box. They left the property to the Mercers, and Confederate general Hugh Weedon Mercer was born here. The grounds later were the site of considerable Civil War activity. Despite interior modifications, the original character of the house has been maintained. In the yard is an 18th-century icehouse. The property is located in the Fredericksburg Historic District.
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: January 3, 2022
