Wigwam (Chula, Virginia)
Wigwam | |
 Wigwam, built 1790, home of Gov. William B. Giles and the Harrisons' Amelia Academy | |
   | |
| Location | 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Chula, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°28′53″N 77°59′21″W / 37.48139°N 77.98917°W |
| Area | 0 acres (0 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000220[1] |
| VLR No. | 004-0003 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 25, 1969 |
| Designated VLR | May 13, 1969[2] |
The Wigwam is a historic home located near the Appomattox River in Chula, in Amelia County, Virginia; it was the home of Congressman, U.S. Senator, and Governor William Branch Giles (1762-1830).[3]
Architecture and history
The home is surrounded by over 100 acres of farmland. It consists of a rear ell dated to around 1790 and a front block added in the early-19th century. Both sections are 1 1/2-stories of frame construction, with gable roofs and dormers. Its 18-room interior features much of the original woodwork. The house originally had 5 full baths, and includes 4 chimneys that serve 13 fireplaces. There are 65 windows, 17 of which are dormers. One room in the basement is thought to have been used to secure Union army prisoners in the War Between the States - with a barred window and evidence of shackles on the wall.
After Giles' death the Wigwam became the residence of Prof. William Henry Harrison (great-nephew of the U.S. President so named), his wife Lucy Powers and their seven grown children. Harrison, a scholar from William and Mary College, conducted a boarding school for boys at the Wigwam, named the Amelia Academy. In 1853 there were 23 pupils, and in 1862 girls are said to have attended as day students.[4] Among the Patrons of the school were Edmund Ruffin, as well as John Hartwell Cocke who also collaborated with Thomas Jefferson in the development of the University of Virginia. Indeed, the Amelia Academy was a primary preparatory school in Virginia for the University. William Henry's son, Rev. John Hartwell Harrison, a Baptist minister, shepherded the school after his father's death. The school was then referred to by some as "Mr. Hartwell's Academy". In the aggregate the academy was in operation for over 40 years.[4]
William Henry's grandson Robert C. Harrison acquired the home temporarily in the 1960s in order to effect its restoration. The home was later purchased by Walter Cart in the 1990s; major renovations were conducted and the property made available for rental as a conference/bed and breakfast facility.
The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.[1]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 2013-05-12.
- ^ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (n.d.). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Wigwam" (PDF). and Accompanying photo
- ^ a b Hooker, Mary H., All Our Yesterdays, 1998.
