Shuey, Lewis, House
Also known as: Shuey House
Why it's listed
Built about 1795-1800 on bottom land beside Middle River in western Augusta County, this two-story log house reflects the building traditions of the German Rhineland. Lewis Shuey, a Revolutionary War veteran whose grandfather emigrated from the Rhineland to Pennsylvania in 1732, moved to the county in 1795 and bought a 400-acre tract. His house follows the Flurkuchenhaus plan, with kitchen, parlor and chamber grouped around a large central chimney. It also has an insulated cellar fed by a spring and a heavily braced German-style roof frame. Around 1820-40 a two-level brick wing in the local Georgian and Federal manner was added. Although the exterior has been altered, the house retains much of its original interior finish and is the only unremodeled house of its type in the county. The Shuey family occupied it into the early twentieth century. It is valued as a rare survival of German settlement in the southern Shenandoah Valley.
Significance in brief: It is described as a very rare example of a pure Rhenish-style house in Augusta County. It has one of only two known Flurkuchenhaus (three-room, center-chimney) plans in the county and the county's only known German-style common rafter roof with heavy underframe. It is also the county's only unremodeled house of its type and a landmark of German ethnic history in the Shenandoah Valley.
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 83003261, listed February 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Swoope on VA 713, Swoope |
|---|---|
| County | Augusta County |
| Listed | February 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83003261 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1795-1800 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown (built by Lewis Shuey) |
| Architectural style | Rhenish/German Flurkuchenhaus; brick wing in Georgian/Federal style |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; the form lists the property as occupied and used as a private residence and agriculture. |
| Acreage | 13 |
| Coordinates | 38.11834, -79.22692 (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 83003261.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712699
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.