249-5029

Clifton

Northumberland (County)

VLR Listing Date

2004-03-17

NRHP Listing Date

2004-05-19

NHL Listing Date

NA

NRHP Reference Number

4000477
DHR Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement

Located on the outskirts of the town of Kilmarnock on the Lancaster/Northumberland county border, Clifton is a two-story weatherboarded residence with brick nogging that was built in 1785 for Landon Carter II. The house, three outbuildings, farmland, and interspersed woods occupy part of the vast Virginia holdings of Robert “King” Carter. The original house has a central chimney and an end-gable roof. In the early 1800s, two one-story additions with end chimneys were appended to the east and west ends. One of these additions was removed in the 1860s, and later replaced with a side porch. After building the house, Landon and Catherine Tayloe Carter lived there for a decade before moving to the Carter ancestral home, Sabine Hall, in Richmond County. During several periods in its history Clifton has been used as a “getaway” or hunting lodge. Clifton remained in the Carter family until 1842 when it was sold to James Armistead Palmer, and it is still owned by the Palmer family.

Last Updated: June 2, 2023

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

Photo credit: Elizabeth Lipford/DHR, 2021,Photo credit: Mike Pulice/DHR, 2013,Photo credit: DHR, 2011

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