Wirtland
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Wirtland | |
   | |
| Location | S of Oak Grove on VA 638, near Oak Grove, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°9′21″N 77°0′29″W / 38.15583°N 77.00806°WCoordinates: 38°9′21″N 77°0′29″W / 38.15583°N 77.00806°W |
| Area | 15 acres (6.1 ha) |
| Built | 1850 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 79003097[1] |
| VLR # | 096-0029 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 1979 |
| Designated VLR | December 21, 1976[2] |
Wirtland is a historic house in Westmoreland County, Virginia, United States, near the community of Oak Grove. Built in 1850 by William Wirt, Jr., the son of former U.S. Attorney General William Wirt, it has been recognized as a high-quality example of a rural Gothic Revival house of the period.[3] Its historic status was recognized in 1979, when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
Wirtland is a two-story brick house surrounded by an attached 15-acre (6.1 ha) park landscaped in the Victorian style. Constructed in the shape of a cross, the house is built around a central chimney, and multiple porches surround the stucco-covered exterior. The interior includes marble floors on the first story and plaster ceilings for both floors.[3]
After Wirt's death in 1898, the house was owned by his son and daughter-in-law, who ran a boarding school for women in the house; after their ownership, Wirtland passed out of the Wirt family and through a succession of various owners. The years took their toll on Wirtland, which saw deteriorations including the collapse of a major part of the ceiling of one room; however, later owners undertook extensive repairs. Today, the house is considered one of Virginia's most significant houses of its style, and its park, which is also listed on the Register, is one of the few remaining examples of Victorian landscaping.[3]
The property is now owned by Ingleside Vineyards, one of the oldest vineyards in the state.[4] When it was listed on the Register, it was the residence of the vineyard's owner.[3] It is not the only historic house on the property: Ingleside also owns Roxbury, a Victorian house built by another son of Attorney General Wirt in the 1860s;[5] Like Wirtland, Roxbury is listed on the National Register,[1] and it has taken Wirtland's place as the home of Ingleside's owner.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission staff. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Wirtland. National Park Service, December 1976. Accessed 2009-06-24.
- ↑ Preakness Party, Rappahannock Community College, 2009. Accessed 2009-06-24.
- 1 2 Roxbury, Ingleside Vineyards. Accessed 2009-06-24.
