White Hall
Also known as: Whitehall Plantation; Whitehall Tavern; #047-0041
Why it's listed
White Hall is a two-story frame house with a side-passage plan, standing near the intersection of Route 30 and US Route 60 at Toano in James City County. It was built in 1805-06 for William Geddy and remained largely unaltered until early in the 20th century. A raised front porch was added about 1915, followed by a rear wing and porch around 1935, with bathrooms and further interior changes in later decades. Original features survive inside, including the massive stair, raised-panel doors, floors and several chimneypieces. Behind the house is a group of outbuildings arranged around a paddock: a workshop, privy, garage, barn, corn crib ruins and poultry structures. The property is recognized for its link to the Geddy family, who occupied the land nearly continuously for more than two centuries, and for its architecture. The stair's rearward placement and the full upper floors reflect a growing concern for domestic privacy, while old-fashioned stair details show the conservatism of rural carpenters.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues local significance under Criterion A for Social History, through the Geddy family, who lived there for more than two centuries and were prominent in early Williamsburg. It also claims Criterion C for architecture, since the plan and interior details show changes in Virginia houses of the early republican period, including a growing emphasis on privacy alongside conservative rural carpentry.
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 07000234, listed March 30, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3200 Rochambeau Rd., Toano |
|---|---|
| County | James City County |
| Listed | March 30, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000234 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1805-1935 |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Late 19th & Early 20th Century Revivals/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as domestic dwelling; one barn-area corn crib has collapsed and a frame outbuilding is in ruins. |
| Acreage | 42 |
| Coordinates | 37.40407, -76.80338 (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 07000234.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7994763
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.