For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/17/1973
NRHP Listing Date 10/03/1973
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NPS property number 73002064
This conspicuously-placed dwelling is one of several large old houses crowning the heights around Falmouth and Fredericksburg. The exterior follows a standard Georgian format, employing a five-bay facade and hipped roof. Most of its original exterior and interior fabric survives, including a large built-in glass-door cupboard in the dining room. The stair rail is terminated at the newel with an vertical spiral or ram’s horn carving. Located at the edge of a steep promontory directly overlooking Falmouth, Carlton was the home of John Short, a local merchant who had the house built ca. 1785 after his marriage to Judith Ball of Lancaster County. Adding to the historic ambiance are three original outbuildings: a kitchen/laundry, dairy, and smokehouse.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated February 19, 2019
