Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 04/21/1987
NRHP Listing Date 09/10/1987
NRHP Reference Number 87001550
This distinctive structure, Virginia’s only known hexagonal dwelling, was built in 1871-73 for James W. Burgess. Its polygonal form was likely influenced by Orson S. Fowler’s A Home For All (1853), a theoretical architectural work which advocated the octagon as the most practical, economical, and healthful form for American dwellings. In keeping with Fowler’s recommendation, each of the principal rooms in the Hexagon House has ventilators to remove “bad” air. James W. Burgess was a successful furniture dealer and also sold caskets. The house and its sloping park-like grounds, a vestige of 19th-century romantic landscaping, is owned by the Glass-Glen Burnie Foundation and it located in the Winchester 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: November 18, 2021
