This 1910 house in the historically African American section of of the Montgomery County village of Elliston is the individual architectural expression of a formerly enslaved individual, Pompey Callaway, working with traditional forms and building practices. Callaway was born in Franklin County. His origins apparently had a strong impression on him, for his Elliston home is said to have been modeled after the residence of his former master, which explains why this early-20th-century house has the appearance of a dwelling normally dating from the antebellum period. The I-house plan and the entrance with sidelights and transom could easily be mistaken for a mid-19th-century work. Not only did Callaway undertake the construction, he made his own bricks, molding them and firing them in a kiln nearby. The Pompey Callaway House took many years to complete because Callaway, a station worker, was forced to confine his labor to weekends.
The Pompey Callaway House was listed in the registers under the Prehistoric and Historic Resources of Montgomery County MPD.
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
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