Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 06/13/2001
NRHP Listing Date 01/24/2002
NRHP Reference Number 01001515
Ruffner House,located on the outskirts of the town of Luray, is a two-story brick dwelling built in two phases. The original section was constructed about 1825 for Jonas Ruffner, a trustee of the town when it was founded in 1812. Around 1850, owner William Chapman enlarged the structure to its present size. The house features a richly ornamented Federal entryway and other Federal- and Greek Revival-style decorative elements. In the early 1880s, the property became a part of the adjacent Luray Tannery. The Deford family, owners of the tannery from the 1890s to 1950, added a number of buildings to the property such as a rambling Victorian dwelling known as the Cottage, an 1890s frame bank barn, and a circa 1930 swimming pool. The main house and the Cottage served as residences for the tannery’s owners, superintendents, and workers.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: April 4, 2018
