{"nrhp_refnum":"86003475","name":"Blenheim","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6177 Blenheim Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ballsville","county":"Powhatan County","state":"VA","lat":37.51374619500007,"lon":-78.08410783999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-12-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one and one-half story frame vernacular dwelling with a U-shaped plan, with a surviving smoke house, on Deep Creek near Ballsville in western Powhatan County, Virginia. It was built in three phases: pre-1800, 1803-06 and about 1835.","why_significant":"The nomination argues Blenheim is one of the earliest surviving dwellings in Powhatan County, on land patented in 1730 by surveyor Major William Mayo. Its U-shaped form is described as a rare plan-type in Virginia for the period, and the three wings were harmonized in scale, mass and detail. The Greek Revival interior of the ca. 1835 wing is called particularly stylish for its time and place.","narrative":"Blenheim is a low, U-shaped frame house on Deep Creek in western Powhatan County, Virginia. It grew in three stages: a pre-1800 core, a wing built in 1803-06, and a larger wing added about 1835. Only fragments of the 18th-century section survive, but all three parts share a consistent scale, massing and detailing. The land was part of a 9,350-acre tract patented in 1730 by surveyor Major William Mayo. Mayo's son built the first cottage there, and later generations enlarged it into a family seat. The exterior is plain, apart from a Greek Revival entrance porch with a vaulted plaster ceiling. Inside, the 1830s wing has reeded and fluted woodwork, elaborate mantels and a walnut triple-run stair. The earlier rooms have Federal mantels and grained six-panel doors. Twentieth-century kitchens and service rooms were attached without cutting into the historic fabric. An early 1800s smoke house also remains. The property is notable as one of the county's oldest surviving dwellings and for its unusual plan.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1750-1799, 1800-1899 (specific dates 1803-06, ca. 1835)","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Vernacular, with Federal and Greek Revival interior details","criteria":[],"status_note":"Described as occupied and in good condition, in agriculture and private residence use. Aluminum siding and three 20th-century additions have been added, but the original three wings remain essentially intact.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.740915-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/42/6826/41682642/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/86003475.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003475/e5da6f5785-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86003475/e5da6f5785-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blenheim_farmhouse_on_Blenheim_Road.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blenheim_farmhouse_on_Blenheim_Road.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682642","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim_(Ballsville,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15199729"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/powhatan-county/blenheim-86003475/"}