Laughton, located in the northeast corner of Fluvanna County, was begun about 1785 by David Shepherd, a local planter who also served as a county sheriff and magistrate. The house is a particularly good example of a small plantation house that was enlarged to accommodate expanding families and it exhibits this evolution picturesquely. Especially noteworthy is its handsome, double-shouldered Flemish-bond brick chimney with paved weatherings and diagonal lines of glazed headers parallel to the weathered slopes. The interior of Laughton contains much of its original woodwork. A double row of boxwood nearly 20 feet high leads to the front door. The Shepherd family cemetery located on a rise just east of the house is enclosed by a robust granite wall.