Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/19/1978
NRHP Listing Date 06/19/1979
NRHP Reference Number 79003298
Erected for Benjamin H. Brady, this ca. 1815 mansion, on the Mary Baldwin College campus in the city of Staunton, is dominated by an original two-story portico with stately Tuscan columns and a delicate Federal cornice. Hilltop was one of Staunton’s most conspicuous and elegant residences during the half century after its construction. Circuit Judge Lucas P. Thompson lived here from 1842 until his death in 1866. In 1872 the property was purchased from his estate by the Augusta Female Academy under the leadership of Mary Julia Baldwin, whose name the college now bears. A large wing designed by local architect T. J. Collins was added to the rear in 1904. Hilltop, now a residence hall, was restored in 1991.
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 26, 2022
