Oaks, The
Also known as: 032-0022
Why it's listed
Straddling the Fluvanna-Goochland county line, The Oaks is a brick farmhouse begun in the early 19th century and completed in 1830 for the Richardson family. A pre-1820 rear ell was raised and joined to a two-story, center-passage front block, laid in Flemish bond on the facade. Its most striking feature is the interior woodwork, with wide carved and incised chair rails, mantels with sunbursts and pilasters, and doors and panels grained to resemble mahogany and maple. A brick kitchen, once a schoolroom, a smokehouse, an icehouse, a barn and a fenced family cemetery with some fifty-six graves complete the property. The house passed through six generations of the Richardson/Bowles family. Members included Dr. Richard C. Bowles, a Confederate surgeon who later practiced from the house and helped found a rural public high school, and George A. Bowles, a state legislator who influenced Virginia's highway system and later served as insurance commissioner.
Significance in brief: The property is significant locally as the home of six generations of the Richardson/Bowles family, several of whom were notable physicians, legislators and public officials. It is also significant for its Federal architecture and unusually varied carved, grained and painted interior woodwork.
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 01000696, listed July 13, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 5025 Tabscott Rd., Kents Store |
|---|---|
| County | Fluvanna County |
| Listed | July 13, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000696 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1809 -- 1950 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Health/Medicine, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a single-family home held by the same family. The outbuildings are used for storage, and the well structure is a non-contributing resource. |
| Acreage | 170 |
| Coordinates | 37.87677, -78.08423 (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 01000696.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713318
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.