Burgandine House
Also known as: DHR File No. 204-5
Why it's listed
Burgandine House, at 807 S. Main Street in Culpeper, is a modest story-and-a-half dwelling of plank log construction dating from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Local tradition holds it is the town's oldest residence. Weatherboards now cover the log walls, and a brick exterior end chimney, wide pine floors and an enclosed corner staircase survive from early periods. A north wing added around 1853 was removed in 1966, when the house was donated to the Town of Culpeper. It appears on a ca. 1835 town map at the extreme southern edge, a working-class area of small craftsmen and rental properties, including free Black tradesmen. It is the only dwelling from that neighborhood still standing. It was judged significant as a rare plank log building, simpler than the Slaughter-Hill House and Locust Grove, the two other known examples in the region, and as a record of everyday life in early Virginia. It is presently vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare example of plank log construction and Culpeper's oldest and only surviving log structure from the early settlement period. It is also the only surviving modest working-class residence from the early-nineteenth-century neighborhood of small craftsmen at the south end of town. It illustrates a way of life under-represented on the Register.
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 97000153, listed March 7, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 807 S. Main St., Culpeper |
|---|---|
| County | Culpeper County |
| Listed | March 7, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000153 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1800 |
| Architect / builder | UNKNOWN |
| Architectural style | Other: PLANK LOG CABIN |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as vacant/not in use; the house has served periodically as headquarters for the Culpeper Historical Society, and the original main structure stands with nearly all its improvements intact. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | South East Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.46865, -77.99672 (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.
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 97000153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712106
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.