Paul, Peter, House
Why it's listed
North of Dayton in Rockingham County, Virginia, this log farmhouse was built by Peter Paul probably around 1810 on land bought from the Harrison family. It follows the Rhenish Flurkuchenhaus plan, with a central chimney, a kitchen (Küche) on one side, and a parlor (Stube) and narrow chamber (Kammer) on the other. The log walls were stuccoed early, and later plasterboard hides original beaded boarding, doors, hearths, floors and an attic ladder stair. In 1829 Paul added a two-room brick ell with Federal-style mantels, a common kind of addition in the Valley. The house was set on flat ground rather than into a bank, unlike most Germanic houses. Such houses were rarely built in Virginia after 1800, and this one may be the latest still standing in the state. It is also among the southernmost of its type, a surviving reminder of Swiss and German settlement in the Shenandoah Valley. The house is unoccupied and needs renovation.
Significance in brief: It is one of a small group of surviving Continental farmhouses that reflect the heavy Swiss and German settlement of the Shenandoah Valley. It is a central-chimney Rhenish Flurkuchenhaus, a form rarely built in Virginia after 1800, and may be the latest example still standing in the state. It is also among the southernmost of these European-derived houses.
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 79003082, listed December 28, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Dayton on VA 701, Dayton |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | December 28, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003082 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Germanic; Rhenish Flurkuchenhaus plan, with Federal-style mantels in the ell |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as an unoccupied house on a working farm, in need of renovation; condition marked good. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 38.42993, -78.93855 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 79003082.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15266046
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.