Herbert House
Why it's listed
Herbert House is a brick dwelling at the east end of Marina Road on Hampton Creek in Hampton, Virginia. Dating to the mid eighteenth century, it is described as the oldest standing house in the city and one of the oldest buildings on the lower Peninsula. The original two-story block faces east and shows eighteenth-century masonry techniques: Flemish bond above a beveled water table, English bond below it, random glazed headers, rubbed brick at openings and corners, a belt course and gauged brick flat arches. Later work added a brick rear ell, a frame two-story wing and a two-level front porch, and some interior walls were removed. The Herbert family held the house until 1808, and several family members served in the Virginia navy during the Revolution. Tradition also places the displayed head of the pirate Blackbeard here in 1718. The house is valued as a scarce example of an early, single-room-deep brick house with Georgian detailing and surviving original wood framing. It was vacant and in fair condition when documented.
Significance in brief: The form calls it the oldest standing house in Hampton and one of the oldest buildings on the lower Peninsula. It is a scarce example of an early, two-story, single-room-deep brick house with fine Georgian brickwork and mostly intact structural framing. It also has naval associations through the Herbert family and the 1718 display of Blackbeard's head at the site.
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 72001504, listed February 23, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E end of Marina Rd. on Hampton Creek, Hampton (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Hampton |
| Listed | February 23, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001504 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th and 19th centuries (specific date 1753) |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as fair and altered; present use marked as vacant and the property as unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 37.01617, -76.34316 (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.
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 72001504.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15223694
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.