The various parts of the unforgettably eccentric Maj. David Graham House provide a chronicle of the architectural taste of a successful Southwest Virginia family. The Wythe County house began ca. 1840 as a frame, two-story regionalized Federal-style dwelling with an elaborately carved entry. Its original owner, David Graham, was a prominent figure in the development of the local iron industry. Around 1855, Graham added an Italianate section of brick. The place was inherited in 1870 by Graham’s son, Maj. David Pierce Graham, a former Confederate officer. Major Graham continued the tradition of embellishing the house by adding a tower and deck-on-hip roof. He further elaborated the building at the turn of the 20th century with two enormous three-part bays connected by galleries. The exotic pile was owned by the Graham family until 1944.
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