Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/05/2007
NRHP Listing Date 02/14/2008
NRHP Reference Number 08000079
The Hermitage is a one-and-one-half-story wood-frame farmhouse in Virginia Beach. The earliest section of the house dates from 1699, when John Thoroughgood built on his portion of Adam Thoroughgood’s “Grand Patent.” Thereafter, a second section of the house was constructed circa 1820 by the Moseley family, doubling the size of the building, and then a third addition in 1940, along with indoor plumbing and a kitchen. Serving as a working farm into the 1950s, it is one of the few examples of colonial architecture to be found in Virginia Beach. Interior details include an original circa 1700 door, which served as the front door to the house prior to the 1820s addition, as well as original heart-pine flooring in some sections. Outbuildings include a springhouse or dairy, a smokehouse, and a garage which likely served as a stable or housing for enslaved persons.
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 7, 2022
