Maintaining a strong presence along the scenic U.S. Highway 250 in western Albemarle County’s Greenwood-Afton Rural Historic District, The Cedars exhibits an interesting blending of the Greek Revival style with the local Jeffersonian classicism. The entablature, window trim, and interior woodwork employ Greek profiles; however, the oversize gleaming white trim against red brick, and the use of Chinese railings harken back to Jeffersonian works. The house was built in the 1850s for Col. John S. Cocke, a relative of John Hartwell Cocke of Bremo. The Cedars has had a long and colorful history, serving variously as a residence, a boys’ school, a Civil War hospital, and possibly a tavern. In 1902 the house was purchased by Chiswell Dabney Langhorne of nearby Mirador, who used the basement for gaming rooms and for many years the house was known as the “casino.” Complementing the house is an adjacent galleried kitchen/servants’ quarter.
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
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DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
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