Abingdon Glebe House
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Why it's listed
Abingdon Glebe House is a T-shaped brick house near Gloucester, Virginia, built as the parsonage for Abingdon Parish. It was standing by 1724, when the parish rector mentioned the glebe in a report to the Bishop of London, and scholars generally place its construction around 1700, though the oldest part may be late seventeenth century. The facade is laid in Flemish bond with glazed headers, and one-story hipped-roof pavilions flank the central block, which has a steep gable roof with dormers. Architectural writers have called it an eminent transitional house and an early example of formal Virginia design, and one credited the pavilion roofs as the earliest of their form in America. The parish owned the property until the legislature confiscated it in 1802 during the Disestablishment. Fewer than a dozen early Virginia glebe houses have been positively identified. A renovation around 1954 replaced most interior woodwork, but the rear ell retains original doors, window reveals and a bolection mantel.
Significance in brief: It is an early example of formal design in Virginia architecture, with unusual hipped-roof end pavilions that one scholar considered the earliest of that roof form in America. It is also one of fewer than a dozen positively identified early Virginia glebe houses, and one of the better preserved.
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 70000794, listed September 15, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of jct. of U.S. 17 and VA 615, Gloucester |
|---|---|
| County | Gloucester County |
| Listed | September 15, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000794 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 17th and 18th centuries (boxes checked; no specific dates given) |
| Architectural style | Transitional house with hipped roof; early formal design in Virginia architecture |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition, occupied as a private residence, and extensively renovated around 1954 after being unoccupied and decayed. |
| Acreage | 90 |
| Coordinates | 37.37675, -76.53917 (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 70000794.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4667829
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.