Verville
Also known as: DHL File # 51-26
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Why it's listed
Verville is a brick house of about 1745 on a hilltop above the Western branch of the Corotoman River near Merry Point, Lancaster County. It has a story-and-a-half, single-pile, central-passage plan typical of affluent colonial Virginia planters and merchants. Scots-Irish merchant James Gordon I built it on land bought from 1742 onward. Around the turn of the nineteenth century, probably under lawyer and General Court justice Ellyson Currie, the house was raised, given a gambrel roof, and fitted with Federal woodwork. Three one-room brick additions followed before the Civil War. A 1959 restoration supervised by architect Walter Macomber, and later additions, left the colonial and Federal fabric largely intact. The house is among very few surviving colonial buildings in the county. The roughly five-acre site also holds archaeological remains of service buildings, and the property is linked to the Gordons, the Presbyterian minister James Waddell, and Currie, who named it Verville.
Significance in brief: It is one of only a handful of surviving colonial buildings in Lancaster County and was always regarded as an outstanding local house. Its changes over two centuries of continuous habitation are instructive, and the site has major archaeological potential. It is also tied to James Gordon I and II, the minister James Waddell, and the lawyer and judge Ellyson Currie.
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 87000609, listed April 24, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | VA 611, Merry Point |
|---|---|
| County | Lancaster County |
| Listed | April 24, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000609 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1742-1749; 1803-15 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Virginia central-passage house, remodeled in the Federal style |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1959 and extended between 1969 and 1974; described as in excellent condition and occupied as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 37.71994, -76.47741 (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 87000609.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14713444
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.