Anderson-Foster House
Also known as: Foster Place; Sunnyside
Why it's listed
Set on a flat, open tract in eastern Louisa County, Virginia, this one-story, three-bay frame house was built around 1856 on a high basement of brick laid in five-course American bond. It has plain weatherboards, 6/6 sash, a box cornice and a standing-seam metal roof, with two brick chimneys at the south gable end. Inside, a side-passage, double-pile plan is repeated on each level, and the front and rear rooms have plain Greek Revival-type mantels. Dr. John B. Anderson, a country physician, received the land from his father in 1855 and lived in the house until his death in 1909. Its austere Greek Revival detailing, tall proportions and side-passage plan are typical of mid-19th-century Piedmont Virginia housing. Because it has been little altered, the house is regarded as an outstanding example of the homes of the comfortable but unpretentious rural middle class in central Virginia just before the Civil War.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an outstanding, little-altered specimen of the vernacular homes of the comfortable but unpretentious rural middle class of antebellum central Virginia. Its side-passage plan, austere Greek Revival decoration and tall proportions are characteristic of mid-19th-century Piedmont housing. It was also the home for over 50 years of Dr. John B. Anderson, a country physician.
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 78003028, listed November 17, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Holly Grove, Holly Grove |
|---|---|
| County | Louisa County |
| Listed | November 17, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78003028 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1856 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular mid-19th-century Piedmont Virginia house with Greek Revival-style decoration |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good to excellent condition, occupied as a private residence; original front and rear porches have been removed and a 20th-century pole barn stands behind. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 37.80102, -77.81827 (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 78003028.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14711965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.