Lewis Farm
Also known as: The Farm; Davis,John A.G.,Farm; VDHR No.104-002
Why it's listed
Built in 1826 on a hillside east of downtown Charlottesville, this two-story brick house was erected for John A. G. Davis, a lawyer who later taught law at the University of Virginia. It sits on part of The Farm, an early plantation associated with the Lewis family. The house follows Jeffersonian classical design: a symmetrical center-passage plan, brick laid in Flemish bond on all four sides, a slate hip roof, and a Tuscan entrance portico with an elliptical fanlight doorway. Its proportions also reflect Palladian principles. A rear addition was made about 1850 under Thomas Farish. In March 1865, General George Armstrong Custer made temporary headquarters here during Sheridan's advance on Charlottesville. Later owners included George R. B. Michie, and the house served as a nursing home and apartments before being restored as a private residence in the 1990s. The nomination values it chiefly as a well-preserved example of Jeffersonian architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as an excellent example of Jeffersonian classicism, built by workmen associated with Thomas Jefferson. It has Flemish bond brick on all four facades, a Tuscan portico, and Palladian proportions. It was also part of the early Lewis plantation and served as Union General Custer's temporary headquarters in March 1865.
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 82001807, listed October 21, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1201 Jefferson St., Charlottesville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Charlottesville |
| Listed | October 21, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001807 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William B. Phillips and Malcolm F. Crawford (builders) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Early Classical Revival (Jeffersonian classicism) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored as a private single-family residence after 1993; earlier used as a nursing home and apartments. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 38.02895, -78.46875 (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 82001807.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15242292
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.