Western View
Also known as: DHR File no. 032-0114
Why it's listed
Western View sits on a wooded bluff above the James River in Fluvanna County, Virginia, with its main entrance facing west toward the Blue Ridge Mountains. The house grew in two stages. A frame hall-parlor-plan dwelling of about 1790 has beaded weatherboards, a slate roof and a large double-ramped brick chimney. In 1824 Catherine Johnson, a widowed farmer and river freight operator, added a two-story brick wing with Greek Revival details, including pedimented gable ends, a Doric cornice with mutules and reeded door trim. Later owners included William McCoy, a formerly enslaved man who became a merchant near Middleton Mills. The house has stood empty since the 1930s and has never been modernized, though recent work has stabilized its foundation and roof. Its early woodwork and chimney are finer than those of comparable early Fluvanna houses, and the brick wing is one of few Greek Revival buildings in the county. A family cemetery and kitchen ruins remain on the property.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C for architecture. It preserves an unaltered late 18th-century hall-parlor-plan house alongside a brick Greek Revival wing, one of only a handful of buildings in that style in Fluvanna County. The way the expansion is expressed in massing and detail is described as exceptional.
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 02000320, listed April 1, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 658, Fork Union |
|---|---|
| County | Fluvanna County |
| Listed | April 1, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000320 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1790 -- 1824 |
| Architectural style | No Style; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house has been uninhabited since the 1930s and was never given electricity or plumbing. Openings are boarded, and the owners have stabilized the foundation, repaired the roof and chimneys, and repointed the brick. |
| Acreage | 40 |
| Coordinates | 37.73588, -78.35565 (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 02000320.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713515
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.