{"nrhp_refnum":"80004200","name":"Eureka","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"SE of Baskerville","address_restricted":false,"city":"Baskerville","county":"Mecklenburg County","state":"VA","lat":36.632975447000035,"lon":-78.23528334899999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-09-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Eureka is a large frame Italianate villa near Baskerville in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, built in 1854-1859 by architect Jacob W. Holt for the Baskervill family. It sits in a pine grove amid Roanoke River farmland.","why_significant":"The nomination calls Eureka a splendid, remarkably well-preserved example of the 1850s American vogue for Italianate villas. Its size, exterior detailing, interior graining and marbleizing, and custom-made furniture are described as exceptional among surviving Italianate houses in Virginia. It is also among the best works of architect Jacob W. Holt.","narrative":"Eureka is a large two-story frame house near Baskerville, Virginia, built between 1854 and 1859 for the Baskervill family. Architect Jacob W. Holt gave it a central three-story tower with a balcony, a low hipped roof, a wraparound porch, and prominent pendant brackets under the cornices. Inside, a central passage holds a curved open-string stair, and much of the woodwork is grained to imitate oak or walnut and marbleized. The library keeps its original gilded window cornices, draperies, bookcases and a desk built for the room. Holt was born in Prince Edward County and began his career in North Carolina before working in the Boydton area, where he also remodeled Boyd's Tavern. The house is considered exceptional among Virginia's surviving Italianate buildings for its size, detailing, interior finishes and custom furniture. A later log corn crib stands north of the house. The Baskervill family owned the property until 1974.","period_of_significance":"1854-1859","architect_builder":"Jacob Holt (1811-1880)","architectural_style":"Italianate villa","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as in good condition and unaltered apart from two small concrete block ells added about ten years before the nomination; renovated by the owners who live there 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 02:51:56.635451-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/16/6819/41681916/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/80004200.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80004200/93360fd4e1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80004200/93360fd4e1-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eureka_facade.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eureka_facade.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41681916","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_(Baskerville,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14712298"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/mecklenburg-county/eureka-80004200/"}