189-0003

H. L. Bonham House

VLR Listing Date

03/15/2000

NRHP Listing Date

05/11/2000

NRHP Reference Number

00000485

The H. L. Bonham House, located adjacent to Interstate 81 on the southside of the town of Chilhowie in Smyth County, was completed in 1911 as the home of Hezekiah Love Bonham, a regionally prominent farmer and businessman who pioneered innovations in the cultivation, processing, and sale of apples in southwest Virginia. Designed in the Colonial Revival style by C. B. Kearfott, Jr., the Bonham House features classical detailing and retains all interior wood finishes and decorative mantels. Bonham worked closely with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute agricultural extension service to practice and publicize the effective application of scientific principles for fertilization and orchard management. In the adjacent town of Chilhowie, Bonham built the only cold storage facility for apple grading and packaging between Roanoke and Bristol.  The property has gone on to serve the region as the H.L. Bonham Regional Development and Tourism Center.

Last Updated: July 21, 2024

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Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

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