Built by Garland Carr of the prominent Carr family of Albemarle County, Bentivar is a one-story, double-pile brick residence with an English basement and clerestory attic. Documents indicate the original house burned and a new one was built in the 1830s, designed by notable architect and builder Thomas R. Blackburn. Blackburn was a significant architect who began his career as a carpenter working for Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia and Bentivar is an important surviving example of his work. An interesting construction detail is revealed above the ceilings and below the floors of the main level where intermediate boards at mid-joist level carry several inches of clay, supposedly for insulation and fire protection. This measure could well have been installed as a response to the 1830 fire. Also contributing to the nearly 20-acre Bentivar property’s historic significance is a stone structure, a family cemetery, and an ice pit that was originally 35-feet deep, 20-feet wide.