Tyler, John, House
Also known as: Sherwood Forest
Why it's listed
Sherwood Forest is a Virginia plantation house on Route 5 in Charles City County, once part of an estate of about 1,190 acres known as Creek Plantation. The main house, a two-and-a-half-story frame building, dates to 1780. After John Tyler bought it in 1842, he added a covered colonnade linking the house to a kitchen and laundry on the east, and built a west wing with a ballroom and private office. The result is a house some 300 feet long yet only one room wide. Tyler, the tenth President, lived here until his death in 1862, and he chose the name Sherwood Forest because he saw himself as a political outlaw, like Robin Hood. He had become President in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died. Surviving structures include four dependencies, a hunting lodge, outbuildings, a grist mill and traces of the old Mapsico Road. In the mid-1970s the mansion was deteriorating and a restoration was planned.
Significance in brief: It was the home of John Tyler, tenth President of the United States, from 1842 until his death in 1862. He bought the then-called Creek Plantation after succeeding to the Presidency in 1841 and renamed it Sherwood Forest. The form also notes its unusual architecture: a house about 300 feet long but only one room wide.
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 66000922, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 mi. E of Charles City on VA 5, Charles City |
|---|---|
| County | Charles City County |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000922 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1842-1862 |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated July 4, 1961 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Privately owned and occupied. The form describes parts of the mansion and dependencies as deteriorated in 1974, with a restoration planned by the owners in 1975. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 37.33403, -77.01953 (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 66000922.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7495533
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.