The fertile soil of Bedford County spawned numerous fine farms in the late 18th century. One of the oldest, Elk Hill, preserves its Federal-style dwelling house built ca. 1797 for Waddy Cobbs, uncle of Nicholas Hamner Cobbs, the first rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Elk Hill’s Flemish-bond brickwork, formally spaced openings, and refined interior woodwork are evidence of the county’s early architectural sophistication. The carved decorations on the mantels are adapted from illustrations in pattern books by the English architect William Pain. The farm was later owned by three generations of the Nelson family and was visited by their relative Thomas Nelson Page, a noted Southern author who did some writing there. The house was restored in 1928 by Lynchburg architect Preston Craighill, who added the Federal-style porches. A small brick office, contemporary with the main house, stands nearby.