Built in 1825 for Paulina Cabell Henry on land inherited from her father, Dr. George Cabell of Point of Honor in Lynchburg, Shady Grove is an example of the interpretation of highly sophisticated and academic architectural embellishments by country craftsmen. It is speculated that Mrs. Henry was attempting here to duplicate the richness of detailing found in her childhood home. The resulting interior work, the product of an unidentified artisan, is naïve in its execution, possessing a charm and vitality often lacking in more academic counterparts. The neat but somewhat plain exterior likewise illustrates a blending of academic and vernacular influences. Paulina Cabell Henry was married to Spotswood Henry, a younger son of Patrick Henry. Because Spotswood Henry had no stated occupation, ownership of the plantation remained in his wife’s name.
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