Red Hill Farm
Why it's listed
Red Hill Farm occupies a hill near Pedlar Mills in Amherst County, Virginia. Its centerpiece is a 2½-story brick house built in 1824-25 for Richard Shelton Ellis, who ran the family's farming and mercantile operations. The house has Flemish bond brickwork, a slate hip roof, a Doric cornice with mutules and dentils, and a double-pile, central-hall plan. Inside, an open-well stair draws on designs from Owen Biddle's Young Carpenter's Assistant, and the original pine floors, six-panel doors and Adamesque mantels survive. A brick kitchen and Round Top, a late 18th-century overseer's house, remain on the 138-acre property. The Ellis family owned the land from the mid-18th century, and its mill and store helped shape Pedlar Mills. Later owners included the Presbyterian theologian Robert L. Dabney, who bought it in 1869. The house is described as the finest Federal-style residence in the county, and restoration of the house and garden continues.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the finest Federal-style house in Amherst County. Its sophisticated design, influenced by Owen Biddle's Young Carpenter's Assistant and Richmond fashions, reflects the investment early merchants made in their residences. The Ellis family's mercantile and milling activities helped build Pedlar Mills, and the overseer's house, Round Top, is valued as a vernacular building.
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 80004168, listed June 9, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Pedlar Mills on VA 647, Pedlar Mills |
|---|---|
| County | Amherst County |
| Listed | June 9, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004168 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1824-5 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good; the house and garden are being restored by the present owners, who acquired the property in 1966. |
| Acreage | 138 |
| Coordinates | 37.55851, -79.26623 (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 80004168.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713121
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.