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 county seat 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 Prospect Hill’s carved stair brackets and carved fascia of the stair landing. The one-story wings are later additions.