On a knoll commanding panoramic views, Mount Atlas is one of the more interesting examples of late Georgian domestic architecture in Prince William County. The house was built in 1795 by Peter B. Whiting and later sold to Charles B. Carter, son of Charles Carter of Shirley, Charles City County. Its three-bay façade is decorated with a modillion cornice. A striking interior feature is the parlor chimneypiece with its flanking pilasters, a marked contrast to the relatively simple woodwork elsewhere in the house. The overmantel panel is decorated with a painting, titled “Maiden in Prayer,” a ca. 1830-1840 portrait of a young lady. The work of an itinerant artist, the painting is a rare example of folk portraiture being used for architectural decoration. Now surrounded by modern housing, at the time of listing, Mount Atlas stood unoccupied. In 2023 the house remained vacant and showed signs of extreme deterioration.
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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