{"nrhp_refnum":"79003069","name":"Belnemus","other_names":["Belle-Nemus","Bellnemus","Bellenemus"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"W of Powhatan off U.S. 60","address_restricted":false,"city":"Powhatan","county":"Powhatan County","state":"VA","lat":37.56701009500006,"lon":-77.9964007164914,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-04-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Belnemus is a three-part frame plantation house on farmland about 4.6 miles northwest of Powhatan, Powhatan County, Virginia. It was built shortly before 1799 by James Clarke and enlarged in the 1820s and the 20th century, and it has several surviving outbuildings.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an imposing late 18th-century plantation house of outstanding architectural significance, and one of Virginia's foremost late Georgian houses. Its three-part Palladian plan, hipped roof with a unique finial, and carved chimney breasts are cited. The unusual set of surviving outbuildings, including a rare mid-19th-century tobacco barn, adds to its interest.","narrative":"Belnemus is a frame plantation house set on rolling Piedmont farmland in Powhatan County, Virginia. James Clarke built it shortly before 1799, after buying land from Colonel William Mayo in 1783 and 1791. It follows a three-part Palladian plan: a two-story, three-bay center block flanked by one-story wings. A hipped roof with a pyramidal finial crowns the center. Inside, carved chimney breasts with Roman Doric pilasters, dentils and pediments are the most elaborate features. The basement holds a cooking fireplace with a bake oven, a rare survival in eastern Virginia. Lean-to ells were added in the 1820s, and a large rear ell and a new porch followed in the 20th century. Surviving outbuildings include a smokehouse, dairy, icehouse, acetylene lighting house, and a mid-19th-century board-and-batten barn that may have been used for tobacco. A Finch family cemetery lies to the west. Together these elements made the property notable as an outstanding late Georgian farm complex.","period_of_significance":"1700-1799","architect_builder":"James Clarke (builder/original owner)","architectural_style":"Late Georgian, three-part Palladian plan","criteria":[],"status_note":"Private residence and agricultural property, listed as occupied; main house described as largely intact with 20th-century additions.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:58.115643-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/32/6826/41682632/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/79003069.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79003069/15d89cacc1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/79003069/15d89cacc1-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belnemus,_U.S._Route_60_vicinity,_Powhatan_vicinity_(Powhatan_County,_Virginia).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Belnemus,_U.S._Route_60_vicinity,_Powhatan_vicinity_(Powhatan_County,_Virginia).jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682632","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belnemus","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15198307"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/powhatan-county/belnemus-79003069/"}