Pear Valley
Pear Valley | |
 Pear Valley in Eastville, Virginia | |
   | |
| Nearest city | Eastville, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°23′48″N 75°55′29″W / 37.39667°N 75.92472°W |
| Area | 0 acres (0 ha) |
| Architectural style | Medieval Yeoman's Cottage |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000266 [1] |
| VLR No. | 065-0052 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | March 11, 2013 |
| Designated VLR | May 13, 1969[2] |
Pear Valley is a one-room yeoman's cottage and prime example of vernacular architecture in Eastville, Virginia. The modest embellishments and its high level of preservation make it one of the most architecturally interesting examples of small, historic homes in Virginia.[3]
Architecture[edit]
The house is very typical of early Chesapeake architecture. It is a 1+1⁄2-story brace-framed structure, clad in weatherboard siding that is largely original, with one wall of brick laid in Flemish bond. Its interior consists of a single chamber with a sleeping loft above.[4] The dwelling is remarkably detailed and impeccably constructed. The owners were presumably slightly more well-off than their near neighbors, but still not wealthy enough to afford a larger, brick building.[3] Distinctive features of the building include a pyramidal chimney and glazed brickwork.[3] Although there used to be controversy surrounding the construction date, Dendrochronology and extensive study place the date between 1720 and 1750. The building underwent a number of alterations in the 19th and early 20th centuries. From the mid-1940s to the mid-1980s the house was little-used, sometimes housing migrant workers, but it was also used for storage, and as a chicken house for a time.[4]
Preservation[edit]
Preservation Virginia purchased the property in 1986. They began extensive restoration work, including repairing the foundation, in 1994.[3] The entire roof of the structure was replaced with cedar shingles, as called for by the Historic Structures Report, in 2004.[5] The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013.[1] On November 13, 2014, Preservation Virginia transferred ownership of Pear Valley to the newly formed Northampton Historic Preservation Society (formerly the 100-year-old Northampton Branch, PVA).
The property is currently open to the public by appointment.
See also[edit]
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Northampton County, Virginia
References[edit]
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Lahendro, Joseph Dye. "Historic Structure for Pear Valley" (PDF). The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- ^ a b "NHL nomination for Pear Valley" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ^ "Pear Valley". Preservation Virginia. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
External links[edit]
- Northampton Historic Preservation Society
- Pear Valley, State Route 628 vicinity, Shadyside, Northampton County, VA at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
- Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places in Northampton County, Virginia
- National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- Houses in Northampton County, Virginia
- Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia
- Museums in Northampton County, Virginia
- Historic house museums in Virginia