In 1772, George Washington purchased a house from Michael Robinson in Fredericksburg, Virginia for his mother. Mary Ball Washington spent her last 17 years in this comfortable home. A mirror Mrs. Washington called her "best dressing glass" and other possessions are on view in the house. Her sundial still tracks the time of day in the garden.
The house offers tours.
Cole Digges, a Revolutionary War hero, built his house in Richmond in 1805. Renovated in 1995, the building now houses the statewide offices of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (AVPA), including a library and archives which are open by appointment.
The house offers research library access by appointment.
Built sometime between 1751 and 1765, the story-and-a-half brick house is laid in Flemish bond and was home to Jacob Faulcon and his family. It has been fully restored and has a fine collection of English and American furnishings. Today, visitors can see the site of the retreat fort, the house, and its small herb garden.
The house offers tours.
Once typical of courthouses across Virginia, this is one of only four remaining arcaded colonial court buildings. Built in 1750, it features a distinctive semi-circular apse popular in English churches of the era.
The courthouse is open to the public.
Francis Thelaball II built this house with its massive chimneys in 1725. Typical of early colonial planters' homes, the Lynnhaven House features a hall-parlor plan with molded ceiling joists and a closed string Jacobean-type stair. Furnishings reflect the early 18th century. Costumed docents conduct tours of the House and grounds as guests arrive. On the grounds are gardens and a small Revolutionary War graveyard.
The house offers short films, tours, exhibits, and recreational and educational events.
The buildings include the old 1731 Courthouse, 1731 Clerk's Office, and 1814 prison. The complex is distinguished by original fittings and furnishings. The Clerk's Office contains legal records dating from 1632.
The site offers exhibits.
Pear Valley represents a rare survival of what was once a common building type in rural Virginia. This yeoman planter's cottage has been dated by to 1740.
The site offers tours by appointment.
A rare survivor of penal architecture of the colonial period, this building was constructed in 1782. The small brick structure was originally built as a jailer's residence. In 1824, iron bars, oak batten doors, and locks were added when it was converted into a "gaol" for debtors, a purpose it served until 1849.
The site offers tours by appointment.
Before European settlement, Native Americans planted their crops of corn and beans on Conanicut Island overlooking Narragansett Bay. In 1789, Job Watson purchased a piece of this rich farmland, and for the next two centuries, five successive generations of the Watson family cultivated the land, changing their crops and practices as needed to adapt to the evolving market. Today, the property is still a working family farm. The farmers raise cattle and sheep for beef, lamb, and wool markets; grow acres of grass for winter hay supplies; make compost for fertilizer; and cultivate a large vegetable garden. The 1796 house, still used as the farmers' residence, is not open to the public. Visitors are welcome to explore the farmland on their own, following a self-guided walking tour. Educational programs and group tours are available by appointment.
The farm offers tours and educational programs.
Built by Stephen Swett in 1670, the original portion of the house was constructed on a single-room plan with chimney bay and faced south. It was enlarged and amended in several stages until 1756.
The house offers tours.