Old Rectory
Also known as: Rectory for St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
Why it's listed
Old Rectory is a T-shaped frame house on Route 663, about a mile and a quarter southeast of Perrowville in Bedford County. It was built around 1787 for Waddy Cobb, who also had nearby Elk Hill built about ten years later. From about 1828 to 1904 it served as the rectory of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, and a long succession of rectors is believed to have lived there. After the church closed temporarily in 1904, the house passed into private hands. The house has exterior-end brick chimneys, early beaded siding, and a twentieth-century portico with four fluted Doric columns. Inside, paneled wainscoting, dentil cornices and carved mantelpieces survive, and an old log kitchen stands at the rear. It was listed as a typical late eighteenth-century Bedford County farmhouse with remarkably intact interior woodwork, and as part of the St. Stephen's Road rural neighborhood. The nominated tract covers 25 acres of rolling country.
Significance in brief: The original portion is argued to be a typical example of the handsomely proportioned frame farmhouses built in Bedford County in the late eighteenth century. It is also an integral part of the St. Stephen's Road rural neighborhood. Its interior woodwork is finely executed and almost completely intact.
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 73001998, listed July 24, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Perrowville on VA 663, Perrowville |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford (city and county) |
| Listed | July 24, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001998 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (c. 1787) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and altered; occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 25 |
| Coordinates | 37.40267, -79.33726 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 73001998.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7084822
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.