Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/10/2015
NRHP Listing Date 02/02/2016
NRHP Reference Number 15001042
Running along Ben Venue Road (Route 729) between the late-18th century villages of Gaines Crossroads and Flint Hill, the Ben Venue Rural Historic District in Rappahannock County features farmsteads and residences of historic buildings and supporting structures dating from the mid-18th century through the mid-20th century, including Ben Venue. The district encompasses a rolling landscape of open pastures, forests, and views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ben Venue Road, originally known as Richmond Road, was incorporated into an early regional turnpike for conveying goods from the mountains to markets in Richmond and beyond. The curving, narrow, paved road transects the district and is lined by historic stone walls and wood fences. The Ben Venue Rural Historic District reflects a broad and evolving range of cultural patterns including early settlement, crossroads communities, transportation corridors, and a multitude of supporting small farms and orchard lands.
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
Updated: May 16, 2022
