Bay Point Farm
Also known as: Bay Point Dairy Farm; Obici House; Sleepy Hole Golf Course
Why it's listed
Bay Point Farm is an Italian Renaissance-style house on a bluff above the Nansemond River in Suffolk, Virginia. Amedeo Obici, the Italian immigrant who founded the Planters Nut and Chocolate Company, bought the farm in 1924. In 1925 he had the existing 1870 farmhouse moved to the bluff and used it as the core of a new home, adding two hipped-roof blocks to the north and south. The two-story frame house has weatherboard siding, a clay tile roof, Ionic columns, Palladian-style windows, and parquet floors. A two-story garage with servants' quarters, dairy outbuildings, a silo, and a brick entrance gate with cast-concrete lions survive. Obici modeled the house on villas he remembered from Italy and furnished it with Italian art. He also kept a prized Guernsey herd here, and he lived at the farm until his death in 1947. In the 1970s the grounds became a golf course and the house a reception center.
Significance in brief: The property was the home of Amedeo Obici, founder of the Planters Nut and Chocolate Company, a major peanut snack food manufacturer. It is also significant for its Italian Renaissance design, which Obici modeled on villas he knew in his native Italy.
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 03000571, listed June 23, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1400 Sleepy Hole Rd., SUffolk |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk |
| Listed | June 23, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000571 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1924-1947 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Italian Renaissance |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the City of Suffolk, which intends to restore it; the house has been used as a reception center and the grounds as the Sleepy Hole Golf Course since the 1970s. |
| Acreage | 25 |
| Coordinates | 36.84476, -76.51640 (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 03000571.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16822778
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.