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.
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
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia