Point of Rocks
Also known as: 020-0123
Why it's listed
Point of Rocks is a one-story, three-bay Greek Revival house built around 1840 by the Reverend John Alexander Strachan on a 60-foot sandstone bluff above the Appomattox River in Chesterfield County. It has weatherboard siding, a low hipped standing-seam metal roof, a stuccoed stone foundation, and a small tetrastyle porch with square Greek posts. A 1938 garage and the rock cliffs are also counted as contributing resources. The house is considered unusual locally because it lacks the raised basement typical of plantation houses of its period. The elevated site was used as a Confederate signal station and, in 1864, as a Union observation point, headquarters and field hospital during the Bermuda Hundred campaign, with the house serving as quarters for surgeons. After the war, the land was used as a freedmen's village, and the Strachan family later returned. Architecture and military history underpin its significance.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an unusual Greek Revival type in Chesterfield County, a one-story dwelling on a stone foundation without a raised basement, and it retains good integrity. The property was also a Union observation point, headquarters and field hospital in 1864 during the Bermuda Hundred campaign, and later a freedmen's village.
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 05000134, listed March 10, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1005 Point of Rocks Rd., Chester |
|---|---|
| County | Chesterfield County |
| Listed | March 10, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000134 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1840-1938 |
| Architect / builder | Strachan, John Alexander |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling, with the garage and rock cliffs as secondary and natural features; the descendants of the Strachan family still own it. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 37.32185, -77.33788 (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.
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 05000134.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713081
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.