{"nrhp_refnum":"69000268","name":"Mayhurst","other_names":["Howard Place"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"SW of jct. of Rte. 647 and U.S. 15","address_restricted":false,"city":"Orange","county":"Orange County","state":"VA","lat":38.232894071500056,"lon":-78.12056769383032,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-11-12","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Other","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Mayhurst, also called Howard Place, is a two-story frame Victorian house on a brick basement, completed in 1860 on a 144-acre property near Orange, Orange County, Virginia.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it one of the finest examples of the exuberant Victorian attitude toward design, with an unusual complex of planes and shapes by an unknown architect. It contrasts imitation ashlar siding with branch-like brackets. It was also the headquarters of Lt. Gen. A. P. Hill in the winter of 1863-64.","narrative":"Mayhurst is a two-story frame house near Orange, Virginia, completed in 1860 for Colonel John Willis, who had bought the property, then known as Howard Place, in 1856. It sits on an exposed brick basement under a hipped roof topped by a central belvedere, two large chimneys and an elaborate finial. Wooden drop siding is cut to resemble ashlar stone, and oversized paired brackets with pendants ring the eaves. Inside, a broad central hall is divided by an elliptical arch, and a curving stair with octagonal balusters is regarded as the finest woodwork in the house. An older brick-nogged building to the rear is believed to be the original Howard dwelling. The house is valued as an exuberant Victorian design by an unknown architect. During the winter of 1863-64, Confederate Lieutenant General A. P. Hill made his headquarters in the yard, and one of his daughters was christened in the house.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (specific date 1860)","architect_builder":"Architect unknown; built for Colonel John Willis","architectural_style":"Victorian","criteria":[],"status_note":"Condition listed as good; occupied and used as a private residence.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.655778-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/84/6823/41682384/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/69000268.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000268/f5cb7499e5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000268/f5cb7499e5-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Komich","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayhurst_Inn.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Komich</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayhurst_Inn.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682384","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayhurst","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6797282"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/orange-county/mayhurst-69000268/"}