Hite, John, House
Also known as: Springdale
Why it's listed
Springdale is a limestone house on the east side of U.S. Route 11 near Bartonsville, beside Opequon Creek. A date stone in the south gable gives 1753, the year John Hite built it. Its steep gable roof reflects German Valley building traditions. The house was remodeled in the Greek Revival style around 1835-40 and again in the Colonial Revival style around 1900, and it retains a late 18th-century cast-iron fireback bearing the Fairfax coat of arms. The ruins of a stone house and tavern, probably built in the 1730s by John's father Jost Hite, stand on the grounds. Jost Hite, a German Palatine immigrant, received a 40,000-acre grant in 1731 and became the earliest white settler in the lower Shenandoah Valley. John Hite served as a justice, assemblyman and militia colonel in Frederick County. The house and ruins mark the valley's first period of settlement.
Significance in brief: The house is a large stone dwelling in the German vernacular tradition, built by John Hite, a soldier and public official of early Frederick County. It stands on land tied to his father Jost Hite, the earliest white settler in the lower Shenandoah Valley. The house and the ruins of the 1730s house and tavern are described as key landmarks of the valley's first period of settlement.
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 82004558, listed July 8, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 11, Bartonsville |
|---|---|
| County | Frederick County |
| Listed | July 8, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004558 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799 |
| Architect / builder | John Hite (builder per the narrative); the form lists the builder/architect as unknown |
| Architectural style | German vernacular tradition with Greek Revival (ca. 1835-40) and Colonial Revival (ca. 1900) remodelings |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition, altered, on its original site, and occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 12 |
| Coordinates | 39.10897, -78.20271 (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 82004558.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712634
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.