Hollow, The
Also known as: The Boyhood Home of Chief Justice John Marshall; VDHR File No. 030-0803
Why it's listed
Set in a valley known as Wildcat Hollow just north of Markham, this 322-acre farm holds a modest frame dwelling built in 1763-1764 on land leased by Thomas Marshall, father of future Chief Justice John Marshall. The house is one and one-half stories with three bays, a fieldstone foundation, a stone end chimney and a metal gable roof. Inside, a hall-and-chamber plan survives, along with hewn and pit-sawn framing, wrought nails, early beaded weatherboard and traces of plaster and original paint. A fully plastered garret is unusual. Detailed study of this fabric shows the house was timber-framed and weatherboarded, not the log cabin family accounts and a 1937 survey suggested. Its significance rests on the Marshall family connection and on its value as a rare surviving eighteenth-century tenant dwelling. Today the house is vacant and deteriorating, with a ruined later house and a few farm outbuildings nearby.
Significance in brief: The nomination ties the house to Thomas Marshall, father of Chief Justice John Marshall, who leased the land and built the dwelling in the 1760s (Criterion B). It also argues the house is a rare, well-documented example of an eighteenth-century timber-framed tenant dwelling with early construction evidence (Criterion C). The study also corrects the old belief that the house was a log cabin.
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 03001442, listed January 16, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | VA 688, Leeds Manor Rd. and N of Marshall School Ln., Markham |
|---|---|
| County | Fauquier County |
| Listed | January 16, 2004 |
| Reference number | 03001442 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1763-1773 |
| Architectural style | Colonial: Hall-and-chamber |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government, Invention |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The dwelling and agricultural outbuilding are listed as vacant; the dwelling is boarded up, has lost its sash, and shows structural deterioration, with repair and restoration anticipated. |
| Acreage | 322.3 |
| Within district | Marshall's, John, Leeds Manor Rural Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.91751, -77.99230 (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.
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 03001442.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713306
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.