Bentivar
Also known as: 002-0127
Why it's listed
Bentivar is a brick country house on a bluff overlooking the meeting of the two forks of the Rivanna River near Charlottesville. Garland Carr built the first house around 1790. After a fire on 27 April 1830, Carr hired Thomas R. Blackburn, who reworked it into a five-bay, one-story, double-pile house on a fully exposed basement, with a hipped roof, paired chimneys and a monitor. Blackburn had started as a carpenter under Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia, and the house shows that Jeffersonian influence, including surviving metal roof shingles of the type used on the University's pavilions. The Clark family remodeled it after about 1906, adding a porch, a new roof and a rear addition. The roughly 20-acre property also has a stone dairy, a hand-dug well, an ice pit and a cemetery with uninscribed fieldstone markers. It was listed for its architecture, with a significance period of about 1830 to 1954.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues Bentivar is of statewide significance under Criterion C as the work of Thomas R. Blackburn, an architect who began as a carpenter under Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia. The house is presented as an important surviving example of Blackburn's work showing Jefferson's influence. Details such as terne-coated metal shingles like those on the University's pavilions reinforce that link.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000333, listed April 20, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1601 Bentivar Farm Rd., Charlottesville |
|---|---|
| County | Albemarle County |
| Listed | April 20, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000333 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1830-1954 |
| Architect / builder | THOMAS R. BLACKBURN |
| Architectural style | EARLY REPUBLIC: Jeffersonian Classicism |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently in use as a single dwelling with secondary structures; the house was bought in derelict condition in 1963 and has since been brought back into habitable condition. |
| Acreage | 19.8 |
| Coordinates | 37.27271, -78.46181 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000333.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712020
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.