Established around 1817 for James Gilliam, Jr. (1776-1841), the 109-acre Gilliam-Irving Farm is one of the earliest existing examples of an evolved middle-class farmstead in Appomattox County. The frame house features restrained but elegant interior finishes and a massive chimney of dressed sandstone. In addition to the main house, the property contains fourteen standing secondary buildings and two known cemeteries, all of which contribute to the property’s historical importance. The Gilliam-Irving Farm has a period of significance ranging from about 1817 to 1940, extending from initial construction and ending with the period in which the last major alterations were made to the house. The Gilliam-Irving Farm property is locally important for its distinctive architecture and original fabric, including fine stonework, unusual stair balusters, and a mid-19th century air-dried tobacco curing house with unusual construction features.