Grayson, John, House
Also known as: 60-118
Why it's listed
Set in a fertile bend of the Little River north of Graysontown, this farmhouse dates to about 1850 and was associated with John Grayson, who helped found Grayson Mills, later Graysontown, in 1847. The two-story frame dwelling has a single-pile, center-passage plan, a two-story integral ell, a standing-seam metal roof, brick chimneys and a pedimented two-story porch. A full brick basement has its own porch, and one basement room still has a pin rail and pegs and was once used for meetings. A tall frame smokehouse with a stone foundation stands nearby, and a board fence encloses both buildings. The property matters as an extremely well-preserved example of the center-passage form, which was popular in the region as frame houses became more common in the mid-nineteenth century. Only nineteen two-story frame center-passage houses are recorded from the antebellum period in Montgomery County. The house reflects the status and values of a successful farmer and mill builder without elaborate pattern-book ornament.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for architecture as an extremely well-preserved example of the regionally popular center-passage dwelling form. It represents the simple frame vernacular houses of the period in Montgomery County and the home of a successful entrepreneur and farmer. Its pristine condition and the frame smokehouse, unusual in an area of log outbuildings, add to its importance.
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 89001896, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 0.5 mi. NE of VA 613 bridge over Little River, Graysontown |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001896 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1850 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | OTHER: single-pile center-passage plan |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as having undergone very little alteration since construction; still used as a single dwelling with a secondary structure. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.04799, -80.55760 (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 89001896.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712631
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.