Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
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VLR Listing Date 09/18/1973
NRHP Listing Date 04/15/1970
NHL Listing Date 04/15/1970
NRHP Reference Number 70000866
Few colonial Virginia houses are so admired or have spawned so many imitations as the George Wythe House, this restrained Georgian dwelling in the heart of the Williamsburg Historic District. The house was erected ca. 1750 by the builder Richard Taliaferro, who most likely was its designer. Taliaferro received public acclaim as an architect when he directed the 1754 addition of the ballroom to the Governor’s Palace. For many years the house was the home of Taliaferro’s son-in-law, George Wythe, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and first law professor at the College of William and Mary. It also served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Yorktown campaign. The complex geometry of its proportions, combined with its subtle brickwork, demonstrate how Virginia’s otherwise plain colonial architecture could transcend provincialism and achieve stateliness. Restored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 1939-40, the Wythe House serves as an exhibition building.
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: May 17, 2021
