Baker-Strickler House
Also known as: May's Place
Why it's listed
Built around 1856 about a mile south of Gordonsville, this two-story, three-bay house in Louisa County, Virginia, is a timber-frame Greek Revival dwelling set on a raised red-brick basement. It has weatherboard siding, fluted corner pilasters with Doric-style capitals, peaked door and window lintels, and a hipped standing-seam metal roof. Inside, a central hall plan, molded surrounds and Doric-style mantels survive largely intact. Three unusual embellishments mark the house: a two-layer frieze of scallops and swags on all four sides, scroll-sawn six-pointed stars on door corner blocks, and a vine-like motif on the main door and a parlor mantel. The form suggests these may reflect a local craftsman familiar with German decorative traditions. The property is linked to the Baker family, active in Louisa County commerce and religion, and later to the Strickler family, who owned it from 1928 to 2005. It was listed for its architecture and high degree of preserved original material. The house is currently vacant.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be an important local example of mid-nineteenth-century Greek Revival architecture that retains most of its original exterior and interior fabric. Unusual features set it apart: a two-layer scallop-and-swag frieze, applied six-pointed stars on door corner blocks, and a vine-like motif on a mantel and the main door. It is also tied to the locally prominent Baker family.
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 09000046, listed February 18, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 10074 W. Gordon Rd., Gordonsville |
|---|---|
| County | Louisa County |
| Listed | February 18, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000046 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1856 |
| Architectural style | Other: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function is listed as domestic, vacant. A deteriorated early twentieth-century rear addition was removed and a replacement north portico erected in 2008. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 38.12990, -78.20381 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 09000046.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14711994
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.