Rowe House
Why it's listed
Built in 1828 on Hanover Street at the edge of Fredericksburg's historic core, this brick house is a two-story, four-bay, double-pile dwelling with a side-passage plan, a raised English basement, a molded brick cornice, and a deep gable roof. A two-story porch spans the south front; it may be original or rebuilt around 1848 using columns from the old St. George's Church. Additions followed: a brick wing around 1850, a frame north room in the late nineteenth century, and an early twentieth-century northeast extension. Inside, Federal-style mantels and varied molding profiles inspired by Greek Revival pattern books survive, along with mid-twentieth-century changes. George Rowe, a butcher and tanner, bought the land in 1827 and built the house for his business and family, using the turnpike location for livestock and the nearby town for markets. A garden storage building of about 1950, designed to resemble a smokehouse, also contributes to the property.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a notable and well-preserved example of Federal-style design with Greek Revival-inspired interior moldings, and it illustrates the career of George Rowe, a successful butcher, tanner, and landholder. Its form reflects the original siting on the turnpike for his slaughtering business, and it retains documented features such as columns reused from St. George's Church. The form's stated criteria are not legible in the text provided.
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 08001052, listed November 12, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 801 Hanover St., Fredericksburg |
|---|---|
| County | Fredericksburg |
| Listed | November 12, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08001052 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal; Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current use is single dwelling with a secondary structure; the main house has structural cracking and water damage on the north wall and in the basement. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 38.30050, -77.46589 (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 08001052.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15273430
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.