The compact colonial dwelling of Seven Springs boasts a unique square plan with a center chimney. Despite its small size, the house is comparable in its craftsmanship and detailing to many more architecturally ambitious plantation mansions. The construction date is undocumented, but the King William County house likely was built for Capt. George Dabney before his death in 1729. Although Seven Springs was remodeled in the early 19th century, some important original features, such as the walnut stair, paneled doors, and rare foliated hinges, remain intact. Distinguishing exterior features are the jerkinhead roof, the glazed-brick raking courses, and the gauged-brick jack arches. Its snug outline makes Seven Springs one of the state’s most fetching works of colonial architecture, an all-too-rare example of the tidy charm that architects of the Colonial Revival aspired to instill in their works.
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