Beaver Creek Plantation
Why it's listed
Beaver Creek Plantation is a two and one-half story frame house on a knoll above Little Beaver Creek, about a mile north of Martinsville in Henry County, Virginia. Marshall Hairston built the original five-bay section in 1839 after a fire destroyed his father's 1776 brick house. The main block keeps its Georgian center-hall plan, Greek Revival entrance, heart pine floors, staircase, mantelpieces and paneled wainscoting. Gable-front wings, two-story porches and a columned portico added around 1900 give the exterior a Classical Revival look. Further changes came in 1935 and 1958, and a 1983-84 rehabilitation turned the house into offices and a medical clinic. The property was recognized as one of few substantial ante-bellum residences left locally and as an example of large-scale tobacco planting. Colonel George Hairston's estate once covered about 1,200 acres here, and the family cemetery lies north of the house. Outbuildings include a former kitchen, an office and a pool house.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of very few substantial ante-bellum residences remaining in the area, with its Greek Revival main block and Georgian plan intact. It is also significant for its link to southside Virginia's 19th-century tobacco plantation economy as an exceptionally large regional example. The estate was the seat of the Hairston family holdings begun by Colonel George Hairston in 1776.
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 85000984, listed May 9, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 108, Martinsville |
|---|---|
| County | Henry County |
| Listed | May 9, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000984 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1776-1882 |
| Architect / builder | Builder/architect listed as Unknown; the 1839 house was built for Marshall Hairston |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival main block with Georgian plan; Classical Revival additions |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 1983-84 and converted from residential use to office and medical facility (Beaver Creek Clinic); described as occupied and in excellent condition. |
| Acreage | 11.7 |
| Coordinates | 36.71889, -79.88096 (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 85000984.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4878033
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.