Mountain View Farm
Also known as: Pioneer Farms
Why it's listed
Mountain View Farm occupies about 133 acres of pasture, cropland and woodland west of Lexington in Rockbridge County, Virginia, watered by Gilmer Creek and overlooked by Hogback Mountain. Its main house, a two-story brick dwelling built about 1854 for Charles Hyde Davidson, has plain Greek Revival interior detailing and some unusual features, including a walnut-railed stair and tie-rod battened doors. Around it stand fifteen outbuildings and structures grouped into domestic and agricultural clusters. These include a double-crib log barn, a large 1915 barn with an interior silo, a granary, a corncrib and wagon shelter, a sheep barn, a blacksmith shop and a 1931 windmill. Together they document a century or more of farming in a prosperous Shenandoah Valley county. The farm is also associated with Rice Hotinger, a progressive farmer, and Sara Lantz Hotinger, the county's first superintendent of public welfare. Its period of significance runs from about 1800 to 1949.
Significance in brief: The farm is argued to be an extensive, diverse and nearly complete historic farm complex showing a century or more of farm building and agricultural practice in Rockbridge County. It is also tied to Rice Hotinger, a progressive farmer and first president of the Rockbridge County Fair Association. It is further linked to Sara Lantz Hotinger, the county's first superintendent of public welfare.
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 99001723, listed January 27, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 199 Fredericksburg Rd., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Rockbridge County |
| Listed | January 27, 2000 |
| Reference number | 99001723 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1800-1949 |
| Architect / builder | Charles Hyde Davidson (said to have built the main house in 1854) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a working farm: the house is a dwelling, the 1915 barn shelters cattle and equipment, and a repair shop in the blacksmith building operates. |
| Acreage | 133 |
| Coordinates | 37.86506, -79.47953 (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 99001723.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15260093
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.