Woodburn
Also known as: Woodbourne
Why it's listed
Woodburn is a frame plantation house in Charles City County, Virginia, built around 1815 by John Tyler, who later became the tenth President of the United States. It sits on an open tract of about 60 acres, partly bounded by surrounding woodland. The house has a tall two-story central block with a gable-end facade and flanking chimneys, plus two low one-story wings. Inside, a front passage with a corner stair leads to rooms with deep molded cornices, wainscoting and carefully detailed mantels. A one-story office, possibly from about 1830, and an original smokehouse survive; a dairy collapsed recently but its parts remain. Tyler described the house as a "decent and comfortable dwelling," and he lived there while serving as Congressman. The house is valued as a provincial example of the tripartite Palladian form popular in the South, and for its austere interior woodwork. Tyler owned it until 1831, and members of the Christian family held it from 1846 to 1913.
Significance in brief: The house was built by John Tyler, later the tenth President of the United States, who lived there while serving as Congressman from the district. Architecturally it is a provincial version of the tripartite Palladian dwelling popular in the South in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Its austerely handsome interior woodwork is a notable feature.
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 78003183, listed December 12, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NW of Charles on VA 618, Charles City |
|---|---|
| County | Charles City County |
| Listed | December 12, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003183 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1815 |
| Architect / builder | John Tyler |
| Architectural style | Provincial version of the tripartite "Palladian" dwelling |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Form checks the property as unoccupied and work in progress; a 1978 telephone note says the building was still vacant, and the owner was committed to preserving it. The dairy had recently collapsed. |
| Acreage | 60 |
| Coordinates | 37.35536, -77.11003 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 78003183.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713555
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.