Croftburn Farm
Why it's listed
Croftburn Farm is a 162-acre working farm about two and a half miles southeast of Culpeper, Virginia, facing Mount Pony across Germanna Highway. Its main house, the Sprinkel-Bushong House, is a two-story, three-bay frame dwelling with a gable roof and center pediment, dating to about 1890-1900. Behind it stands an unusually intact cluster of barns and farm buildings from about 1870 to the mid-twentieth century, still used for their original purposes. The oldest, a small barn, a feed room and a nine-stall horse barn, are credited to John F. Rixey, a lawyer and congressman, who built them soon after the Civil War. George A. Sprinkel, a Culpeper dentist, bought the land in 1882 and 1889, and the farm was probably run by tenants or a manager. Of nine historic resources, eight buildings and one structure contribute, while later silos, sheds and the 1956 Campbell House do not. The property is recognized for its well-preserved agricultural landscape.
Significance in brief: The nomination stresses the unusually intact grouping of farm barns and outbuildings, used continuously for their original purposes. The oldest buildings are credited to John F. Rixey soon after the Civil War. The farm reflects the post-war pattern of absentee ownership in Culpeper County and the area's agricultural history.
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 01000153, listed February 16, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 18175 Croftsburn Farm Rd., Culpepper |
|---|---|
| County | Culpeper County |
| Listed | February 16, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000153 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Campbell House (noncontributing, 1956): architect James Timpson, builder Clarence Elwood Smoot; the older buildings are not attributed to a named architect, though the oldest barns are credited to John F. Rixey. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Other |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Working farm in current agricultural and residential use; buildings in fair to excellent condition, and the farmhouse is in excellent condition with little alteration. |
| Coordinates | 38.45720, -77.96747 (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 01000153.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712214
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.