{"nrhp_refnum":"01000695","name":"Rockwood","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"12225 Chicken Mountain Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Montpelier Station","county":"Orange County","state":"VA","lat":38.20927721950005,"lon":-78.16033163408534,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-07-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Rockwood is a two-and-a-half story frame dwelling over a brick English basement, built in 1848 near Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia, for Colonel John Willis. It sits on a 296.5-acre rural property with six non-contributing outbuildings.","why_significant":"The nomination argues Rockwood is locally significant in architecture for its unusual blend of Gothic Revival and Greek Revival features. Its asymmetrical form and steeply pitched offset cross-gable roof were unusual for houses of the period in central Virginia. The design suggests Willis followed trends promoted by Andrew Jackson Downing for country cottage residences.","narrative":"Rockwood is a house of 1848 on a wooded hilltop near Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia, on land once part of James Madison's Montpelier tract. Colonel John Willis, a great-nephew of Madison, had it built. The two-and-a-half story weatherboard dwelling rests on a brick English basement and combines two styles. A steep, offset cross-gable roof, peaked dormers, tall chimneys and an emphasis on height reflect Gothic Revival influence. The front doorway with transom and sidelights, wide corner boards and simple interior trim reflect Greek Revival influence. Inside are four large rooms on each main floor, each with a fireplace, and two curving stairways. The nomination finds the asymmetrical design unusual for central Virginia and links it to Andrew Jackson Downing's ideas about country cottages. Willis sold the property in 1860 and the house has remained a private home. Six later outbuildings on the 296.5 acres do not contribute to its significance. It was recognized for its architecture at the local level.","period_of_significance":"1848","architect_builder":"unknown (built by Colonel John Willis, probably in 1848)","architectural_style":"Mid-19th century / Gothic Revival (blended with Greek Revival)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"In continuous use as a single dwelling and private residence since 1848; described as in good condition with little alteration, while the outbuildings are in moderately poor to poor condition.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:59.639583-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/6823/41682348/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/01000695.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000695/12c84bb775-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01000695/12c84bb775-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockwood_property_entrance.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rockwood_property_entrance.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"66000843","name":"Montpelier","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/montpelier-66000843/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682348","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwood_(Montpelier_Station,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7355694"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/orange-county/rockwood-01000695/"}