On the summit of a steep grassy hill, the late Federal-style farmhouse of Prospect Hill, one of the principal historic homesteads of Botetourt County, commands panoramic views of mountains, farmland, and the village of Fincastle. Built ca. 1837-38 for John Gray, the county sheriff, the house has a two-level portico and rare flush-board siding. Especially noteworthy are the entrance fanlight and pediment lunette with their lively intersecting tracery. The interior is decorated with marbleizing and wood graining. The stenciled band in the west parlor is a decorative device rarely surviving in Virginia houses of the period. Local artistry is also evident in the carved stair brackets and carved fascia of the stair landing. The one-story wings are later additions.
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