Oakley Hill
Also known as: VDHR No. 42-137
Why it's listed
Oakley Hill is a plantation of about 100 acres between Mechanicsville and Cold Harbor in Hanover County, Virginia. Its main house, a wood-frame I house on a high brick basement, was built around 1839 for Edward and Sarah Sydnor as a story-and-a-half dwelling and raised to two full stories in the 1850s. A cedar-lined avenue leads to the house through open fields and old oak trees. Interior details include a two-flight open-well stair and Greek Revival moldings. Behind the house stand a two-cell servants' house, largely unmodernized, and an early smokehouse. The property is considered important as a typical example of the modest dwellings that served small inland plantations around Richmond, and for the survival of rare outbuildings. Most neighboring land has been subdivided for housing, which makes this historic farm one of few remaining. The Sydnor family and later the Bowles family were the only owners, which helped preserve the architectural integrity of the house.
Significance in brief: The house is argued to represent the many simple wood-frame dwellings of small inland plantations around Richmond, showing the persistence of vernacular forms such as the I-house plan. It also preserves a rare, little-altered two-unit servants' house and an early smokehouse, within a rural setting increasingly lost to suburban development.
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 94000459, listed May 19, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 156 S side, 2500 ft. W of jct. with VA 643, Mechanicsville |
|---|---|
| County | Hanover County |
| Listed | May 19, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000459 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1839-1895 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Maintained in excellent condition and still used as a single dwelling; the servants' house is used for storage. |
| Acreage | 100 |
| Coordinates | 37.59493, -77.34017 (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.
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 94000459.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713001
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.