Farmer House
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Set among the rolling farmlands of western Amelia County, this two-story frame house was built around 1820-25 by the Farmer family. It follows the I-house form: five bays wide, a single room deep, with a central stair passage, raised on a high Flemish-bond brick basement. Brick end chimneys, beaded weatherboards and an original pedimented south porch with slender piers add to its character. Inside, the original trim survives, including reeded wainscoting, an open-string stair and finely detailed mantels, with the west room the most elaborate. Its plan differs from the standard in a second, winder stair in the east room that serves a completely separate upstairs chamber. Land tax records suggest Nelson Farmer, who inherited the land from his brother Charles in 1822, completed the house and outbuildings by 1825. A smokehouse and a barn also remain. The property is notable as a well-preserved example of a house type common among Virginia planters of moderate means.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites its unusual variant of the standard I-house plan, handsome brickwork, elaborate interior trim and remnants of original painted decoration. A winder stair in the east room gives sole access to a separate second-floor chamber. It is also described as representative of a house type built by comfortably situated Middle Virginia planters in the early 19th century.
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 78003004, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3 mi. (4.8 km) SE of Deatonville on VA 647, Deatonville |
|---|---|
| County | Amelia County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003004 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | I-house (vernacular, early 19th century) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied private residence; two early outbuildings, a smokehouse and a barn, survive. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 37.28599, -78.15577 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 78003004.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712310
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.