Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/15/2000
NRHP Listing Date 05/11/2000
NRHP Reference Number 00000485
The H. L. Bonham House in the town of Chilhowie, Smyth County, was completed in 1911 as the home of Hezekiah Love Bonham, a regionally prominent farmer and businessman who pioneered innovations in the cultivation, processing, and sale of apples in southwest Virginia. Designed in the Colonial Revival style by C. B. Kearfott, Jr., the Bonham House features classical detailing and retains all interior wood finishes and decorative mantels. Bonham worked closely with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute agricultural extension service to practice and publicize the effective application of scientific principles for fertilization and orchard management. In the adjacent town of Chilhowie, Bonham built the only cold storage facility for apple grading and packaging between Roanoke and Bristol.
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: February 27, 2021
