Cuckoo
Also known as: Cuckoo Place; VDHR No. 54-16
Why it's listed
Cuckoo is a two-story, three-bay brick house with a slate roof, built about 1819 for Henry Pendleton beside US Route 33 in Louisa County. Four exterior-end chimneys and an unusual semicircular closet between two of them mark the Federal-period core. About 1910 the Pendleton family carried out a Colonial Revival remodeling, adding a two-level portico, widening the center passage and installing a new stair. In 1938 Charlottesville architect Stanislaw J. Makielski designed a bow-front porch on the rear ell. The grounds hold two doctor's offices, a well house, a smokehouse, a barn, a garage and the Pendleton family cemetery. The property matters for its medical history as well as its architecture. Members of the Pendleton family practiced medicine here from the second quarter of the nineteenth century until 1979, and eleven doctors trace their descent to the builder. The offices show how rural physicians worked, and the house forms a well-known landmark on the highway.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that Cuckoo is significant under Criterion A as the home and offices of several generations of Pendleton family doctors, with two surviving doctor's offices showing how rural medicine was practiced. It is significant under Criterion C for combining Federal-period features, including an unusual semicircular chimney closet, with high-quality Colonial Revival renovations of about 1910. Its location beside a major highway also makes it a visual landmark that gave its name to the nearby village.
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 94000550, listed August 19, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of US 33 and VA 522 S, Mineral |
|---|---|
| County | Louisa County |
| Listed | August 19, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000550 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1819 - 1938 |
| Architect / builder | Makielski, Stanislaw J. |
| Architectural style | Federal; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Health/Medicine, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house and cemetery are still in use; the larger doctor's office is now used as a tenant house, and the small office displays medical implements and books of the Pendleton doctors. |
| Acreage | 47.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.95304, -77.89684 (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 94000550.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5192355
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.