Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/17/1974
NRHP Listing Date 10/09/1974
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 74002106
In a pastoral setting above the James River, this compact early-19th-century farmhouse is a refined and well-preserved example of Piedmont Virginia’s Federal vernacular. Its finely crafted details and balanced proportions illustrate the high standards maintained by builders even for modest houses in relatively remote areas. Noteworthy features are the original porches, the Flemish-bond brickwork, and the finely detailed Federal mantels based on designs in Owen Biddle’s The Young Carpenter’s Assistant (1805). The construction date is uncertain. The house may have been standing when the property was acquired in 1827 by Dr. Howell Davies, a Lynchburg druggist, who used Hope Dawn as a country home. Preserved in front of the house is a short section of the old Bethel Road, an early turnpike. The road is still lined with its original stone retaining walls and dressed-stone gateposts.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: February 23, 2021
