Guerrant House
Also known as: Pilot House; 60-7
Why it's listed
Set in a grove of large maples on the main road through the small community of Pilot, this two-story frame house has a hipped roof, weatherboard walls, six-over-six windows and two massive brick chimneys between the rooms. Its plan is unusual: the center passage is divided into front and back sections, each with its own open-riser stair, and a single door joined the two halves. Family tradition holds that the rear part served as an inn, and an 1864 Confederate engineers' map shows a hotel called the Pilot House on the site. Tax records suggest William C. Guerrant built the present house about 1870, when recorded building values rose sharply. Among fourteen double-pile center-passage dwellings from 1865 to 1900 in the county, it is one of the two best and the only one with a divided passage or centered interior chimneys. A meathouse and springhouse from the mid- to late nineteenth century survive nearby, and an early twentieth-century porch extends the period of significance to about 1910.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C as an unusual variation of a popular regional house form, possibly shaped by its use as a residence and hotel. It is one of the two best of fourteen double-pile center-passage dwellings from 1865-1900 in the county. It is the only one from the period with a divided passage or interior chimneys centered on a longitudinal axis.
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 89001815, listed November 13, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | VA 612 at VA 615, Pilot |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | November 13, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001815 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1870-1910 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Double-pile center-passage plan (Georgian-plan house with Greek Revival mantels) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current functions are listed as single dwelling and secondary structures; alterations are described as minor and the property retains its integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.05402, -80.35804 (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 89001815.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712418
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.