{"nrhp_refnum":"07000827","name":"Dudley, Gwin, Home Site","other_names":["033-5172","Gwin Dudley House site","Twin Chimneys"],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Twin Chimneys Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Wirtz","county":"Franklin (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.04747030500005,"lon":-79.68870690799997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-01-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A site in Wirtz, Franklin County, Virginia, marked by the ruins of two stone chimneys from the Gwin Dudley house, located in a cul-de-sac on a peninsula of Smith Mountain Lake. The south chimney carries a 1795 date stone; the house itself burned in the early 20th century.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the south chimney is the site's primary resource under Criterion C for architecture, because of its fine fieldstone masonry, built-in decorative and structural arches, and inscribed date stone. These features appear to be unique in the region. The site is also described as the work of a master craftsman and as one of Franklin County's best-known landmarks.","narrative":"Twin Chimneys, the remains of Gwin Dudley's home in Wirtz, Franklin County, Virginia, consists of two freestanding stone chimneys in a landscaped cul-de-sac beside Smith Mountain Lake. The house burned in the early 20th century, leaving chimneys about 31 feet apart that mark its original length. The south chimney, built of undressed fieldstone, rises nearly 23 feet and has two sloped shoulders, built-in arches of small flat stones set on end, and a carved stone bearing the initials G W and the date 1795, filled with lime mortar that remains intact. These features appear to be unique in the region. The north chimney is plainer, with a firebox lined in cut soapstone. Dudley received land for supporting the patriot cause during the Revolutionary War and farmed in the area. The site was recognized for the quality of the south chimney's design and masonry, and for its status as a well-known local landmark visible from the lake.","period_of_significance":"1795","architect_builder":"Dudley, Gwin","architectural_style":"Other: house ruin","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"The house was lost to fire in the early 20th century; only two stone chimneys remain, listed as a ruin. The south chimney's firebox arch is braced with a piece of wood, and the north chimney leans noticeably.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:02.568243-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/48/6807/41680748/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/07000827.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000827/87ab35081e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000827/87ab35081e-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gwin_Dudley_homeplace.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gwin_Dudley_homeplace.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680748","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwin_Dudley_Home_Site","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712433"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/franklin/dudley-gwin-home-site-07000827/"}