Evergreen
Why it's listed
Evergreen is a plantation house east of Hopewell in Prince George County, Virginia, built around 1807-08 and probably erected by George Ruffin. The two-story, five-bay house is of stuccoed brick with a hipped roof, a high basement and a pedimented Doric portico. Its mix of late Georgian and Federal details makes it a transitional design. Insurance records from 1808 describe a brick house with a slate roof, a costly feature rarely seen on Virginia country houses of the time. Tax records from 1820 valued it second in the county, behind only Upper and Lower Brandon. The Ruffin family held the property from the mid-18th century. Harrison Cocke, who later commanded the James River naval defenses for the Confederacy, owned it in the mid-19th century. In the early 1900s the house stood vacant and was used as a barn and stable before a major restoration in the late 1930s. The nominated four acres include the house and its landscaped setting.
Significance in brief: The house is noted for its ties to the Ruffin family and to Harrison Cocke, a Confederate naval captain who commanded the James River defenses. Antebellum tax and insurance records valued it among the finest homes in the county, and its slate roof was unusual for the period. It is also an example of a transitional late Georgian and Federal style James River plantation house.
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 79003070, listed July 24, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E. of Hopewell on VA 644, Hopewell |
|---|---|
| County | Prince George County |
| Listed | July 24, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003070 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1790-1810 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian / early Federal |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The house became vacant in the early 20th century and was converted to a barn and stable. It was reclaimed and restored in the late 1930s, and the form lists it as occupied, in excellent condition and used as a private residence. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 37.29074, -77.24067 (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 79003070.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15217084
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.