{"nrhp_refnum":"04000549","name":"Watkins House","other_names":["VDHR Number 19-5168","Shoo-Crymes Place","Crymes Place","Bonis Est Farm"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3115 Briery Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Keysville","county":"Charlotte County","state":"VA","lat":37.07463569650005,"lon":-78.50630969008756,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2004-05-27","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, three-bay frame I-house with a rear wing and five outbuildings on 15.13 acres about three miles east of Keysville in northeastern Charlotte County, Virginia. The main block dates to the 1830s or 1840s and the rear wing to 1851; the architect or builder is unknown.","why_significant":"The house was the home of William B. Watkins, a Charlotte County militia officer, magistrate and member of the Virginia General Assembly who helped establish one of the state's earliest county school boards. It is also an unusual example of the shift from Federal to Greek Revival design. Its paired hexagonal chimney stacks reflect a local masonry tradition found on perhaps a score of area buildings.","narrative":"This farmhouse in northeastern Charlotte County, Virginia, sits on 15.13 acres of pasture and woodland east of Keysville. It is a two-story, three-bay frame I-house built in the 1830s or 1840s, with a rear wing added in 1851. The design blends Federal and Greek Revival elements, including a small Tuscan portico, a double-door entrance with sidelights and a transom, and simple woodwork inside. Each end chimney carries a pair of hexagonal brick stacks, a feature found on a small group of local buildings and probably the work of a regional mason. The house was the home of William Benjamin Watkins (1780-1850), an army officer, magistrate, attorney and member of the Virginia General Assembly who established an early county school board. His will called it the Mansion House. After his death the farm, once more than 3,000 acres, shrank to its present size. Five outbuildings, including a tobacco barn, also contribute to the property.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1830-1866","architect_builder":"Architect/Builder Unknown","architectural_style":"Mid-19th Century Greek Revival (transitional Federal-Greek Revival)","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a single dwelling; remains essentially as built apart from synthetic siding and rear additions.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:02.494697-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/55/6800/41680055/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/04000549.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000549/8a55d3200b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/04000549/8a55d3200b-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Watkins_House_near_Keysville.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Watkins_House_near_Keysville.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680055","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watkins_House_(Keysville,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713501"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/charlotte-county/watkins-house-04000549/"}