Brook Hill Farm
Also known as: VDHR File no. 009-0318
Why it's listed
Brook Hill Farm is a 43.95-acre farm on County Road 643 between Forest and Goode in Bedford County, Virginia. Its main house was begun in 1904 and designed by Graham Webb, a Tennessee native, with local neighborhood workmen doing the construction. The frame dwelling combines Queen Anne decoration with the broad, compact form of the Bungalow/Craftsman style, a shape that did not become common in the county until the 1920s. Federal and Greek Revival moldings and mantelpieces, parquet heart pine floors, a wraparound porch with Doric columns and a hidden room add to its character. Surviving outbuildings include an icehouse, hog barn, blacksmith's shop and a schoolhouse built in 1909, now a guest house. Sites of a barn, a carriage house and an unidentified foundation are also counted. The farm was listed for its architecture, as an unusually sophisticated and well-preserved rural dwelling of its period, and it remains a working family farm.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is significant under Criterion C for its well-preserved form and detailing, which show an architectural sophistication unusual for turn-of-the-century farmhouses in rural Bedford County. The house blends Queen Anne decoration with a broad Bungalow/Craftsman form and Federal and Greek Revival details. It is described as one of the earliest bungalow-form houses identified in the area.
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 97000489, listed June 6, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 0.75 mi. S of jct. of US 221 and VA 643, Forest |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford (city and county) |
| Listed | June 6, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000489 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1904 |
| Architect / builder | Webb, Mrs. Graham |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Queen Anne; Late 19th & Early 20th Century American Movements: Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in residential use and farmed as a family farm; the former schoolhouse serves as a guest house. |
| Acreage | 44 |
| Within district | Bellevue Rural Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 37.36893, -79.37124 (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 97000489.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712084
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.