Wheatland Manor
Also known as: VDHR Site No. 11-38
Why it's listed
Wheatland Manor is a brick farmhouse about four miles east of Fincastle in Botetourt County, Virginia. Its south-facing front section is a five-bay, center-passage I house built in the 1820s. In the 1850s a two-story Greek Revival porch with fluted Doric columns was added across the front, along with a two-story brick ell. A one-story frame kitchen was added around 1900. Inside, the house keeps Federal-style mantels and woodwork, grained doors, and traces of early paint and wallpaper, some uncovered during restoration in 1991. Outside, a limestone retaining wall from the 1850s runs nearly half a mile along Route 639. Local tradition says it was built by enslaved workers supervised by an Irish canal laborer. The nominated parcel also includes a terraced garden, ice house ruins, and several twentieth-century farm buildings. Records trace ownership from the Rowland family to Rufus Pitzer, whose farm became one of the larger operations in the county by 1860.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of an early nineteenth-century I house that was enlarged in the 1850s with Greek Revival additions, retaining Federal and Greek Revival interior detailing and early paint and finishes. It also documents the history of a large Botetourt County farm worked by enslaved labor under owners such as the Rowland family and Rufus Pitzer. The 1850s limestone retaining wall and garden features add to its significance.
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 91002040, listed February 5, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N side VA 639 1/4 mi. SE of jct. with VA 638, Fincastle |
|---|---|
| County | Botetourt County |
| Listed | February 5, 1992 |
| Reference number | 91002040 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal; Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restoration work was underway in 1991; the property was in use as a single dwelling, with work in progress noted. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 37.50458, -79.80606 (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 91002040.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713524
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.