{"nrhp_refnum":"69000220","name":"Wigwam","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"8 mi. NW of Chula","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chula","county":"Amelia County","state":"VA","lat":37.48151340600006,"lon":-77.98896180953304,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-11-25","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Wigwam is a complex of two frame one-and-a-half story structures set at right angles, in rural Amelia County, Virginia, about 8 miles northwest of Chula. The rear ell is believed to date from the late 18th century and the front block from the early 19th century.","why_significant":"The property was the home of Governor William Branch Giles (1762-1830), a congressman, U.S. Senator and Governor of Virginia. It is also noted for the interior woodwork of its front block, which has unusual design features giving a Mannerist feeling.","narrative":"Wigwam is a rural house complex in Amelia County, Virginia, about eight miles northwest of Chula. It consists of two frame, one-and-a-half story structures set at right angles. The rear ell is believed to date from the late eighteenth century, while the front block, with larger windows and more refined interiors, was added in the early nineteenth century. The front has five bays, nine-over-nine sash windows and a central double-door entrance with sidelights and a transom. Inside, the front block keeps much of its original woodwork, including a stair with panels that diminish in height to create an exaggerated perspective, and mantels with an unusual central pilaster. Wigwam was the home of William Branch Giles (1762-1830), who served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and as Governor of Virginia, and who opposed President Madison's policies during the War of 1812. Its historical associations and interior woodwork are the basis for its recognition.","period_of_significance":"18th and 19th centuries","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in fair condition, occupied, private residence; the ell interior has been altered and some paneling has been sanded to a natural finish.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:57.935564-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/12/6795/41679512/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/69000220.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000220/b7e9dd4af5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000220/b7e9dd4af5-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"National Historic Landmarks","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wigwam_Va_Dept._of_Historic_Resources.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">National Historic Landmarks</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wigwam_Va_Dept._of_Historic_Resources.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41679512","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_(Lodore,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713532"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/amelia-county/wigwam-69000220/"}