Spring Hill Farm
Why it's listed
Spring Hill Farm is a rural property in McLean, Fairfax County, centered on a two-and-a-half-story frame farmhouse built about 1822 for the William Swink family. A rear wing was added in 1850. The house keeps its original mantels, doors, trim and a simple turned-newel staircase, and its foundations are local fieldstone. Two barns stand nearby, one probably built before the Civil War and one designed in 1890 by Henry E. Alvord, a noted dairy scientist. The farm sits among modern housing developments yet retains fields, ponds, springs, Bull Neck Run and a very old black oak. It matters as an unusually early and large example of its house type in western Fairfax County, and for its tie to Alvord, who became the first dairy division chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Earlier owners included the Fairfax, Scott and Alexander families, and the Swinks farmed grain and dairy.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the farm is a rare, large survivor of an early nineteenth-century farmhouse, with original woodwork and two historic barns on land that keeps its agricultural character. It is listed for architecture as a good example of an early Federal-period farmhouse. It is also listed for its link to Henry Alvord, the first dairy division chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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 02000446, listed November 22, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1121 Spring Hill Rd., McLean |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfax (city and county) |
| Listed | November 22, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000446 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1822-1904 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown for house and first barn; Henry Alvord and O.G. Besley for second barn |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Mid-19th Century |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling with secondary structures; a replica springhouse has been rebuilt on the original foundation, and the porches were modified in 1972. |
| Coordinates | 38.94831, -77.22682 (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 02000446.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713238
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.