{"nrhp_refnum":"85002915","name":"Williamsville","other_names":["DHL File #42-27"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Off VA 615","address_restricted":false,"city":"Studley","county":"Hanover County","state":"VA","lat":37.69701505550006,"lon":-77.30708237706676,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-11-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Military","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Williamsville is a two-story Flemish bond brick \"I\" house with rear ells over an English basement, built 1794-1803 near Studley in Hanover County, Virginia. It was begun by George William Pollard on the highest elevation in the vicinity.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the best preserved Federal-style house in Hanover County, with elegant interior millwork that stayed unaltered for a long time. It also served as headquarters for Generals Grant, Hooker and Meade during the Civil War battles around Richmond because of its commanding elevation.","narrative":"Williamsville is a brick plantation house near Studley in Hanover County, Virginia, built between 1794 and 1803 for George William Pollard, longtime clerk of the county. It is a formal two-story house with a five-bay front, Flemish bond brickwork, a modillioned cornice, and a three-bay porch with a balustrade. Inside, the stair hall has carved brackets and paneled cheek walls, and the principal rooms have dentil cornices and Adamesque mantels. Receipts identify Benjamin Ellett as builder and John Haw as overseer. The house is regarded as the best preserved Federal-style house in the county, and its interior went unaltered for a long period. Its position on the highest ground in the area also made it a choice site for military operations in 1862 and 1864, when Generals Grant, Hooker and Meade used it as headquarters. The nominated fifteen acres include the house, a modern garage and the Pollard family burial ground.","period_of_significance":"1794-1803","architect_builder":"Benjamin Ellett (builder); John Haw (overseer)","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition and unaltered, on its original site, and occupied; the house has been repaired preserving its original materials.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:59.666734-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/79/6811/41681179/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/85002915.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002915/b2bd651349-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002915/b2bd651349-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williamsville_driveway.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williamsville_driveway.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41681179","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsville_(Studley,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14713541"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/hanover-county/williamsville-85002915/"}