Glebe House of Southwark Parish
Also known as: The Old Glebe
Why it's listed
Near Route 10 in Spring Grove, Surry County, stands a brick house built about 1725-1735 as the glebe house of Southwark Parish. It has three bays, a story and a half, a gambrel roof and a low stuccoed basement. Brickwork is laid in Flemish bond. The house began as a single-story, gable-roofed building with interior chimneys. Early in the nineteenth century the roof was changed to a gambrel and the chimneys were rebuilt on the exterior ends. Inside, a central passage holds an early triple-run stair. Mid-nineteenth-century work added Greek Revival details. Its first resident was the Reverend John Cargill, minister of Southwark Parish from 1708 and a prominent figure among Virginia clergy, who sided with Commissary James Blair in a 1719 dispute with Governor Spotswood. The parish was later disbanded and the house was sold under a 1802 legislative requirement. It is one of a small group of colonial glebe houses surviving in Virginia. A frame smokehouse is the only early outbuilding remaining.
Significance in brief: It is one of a small group of surviving colonial glebe houses in Virginia. It is associated with the Reverend John Cargill, a prominent early eighteenth-century Virginia clergyman, and it keeps many original features despite later alterations.
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 76002123, listed May 17, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of Spring Grove on VA 10, Spring Grove |
|---|---|
| County | Surry County |
| Listed | May 17, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76002123 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799, 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in good condition, in private ownership and used as a private residence. The house was renovated most recently between 1966 and 1974. |
| Acreage | 22 |
| Coordinates | 37.14102, -76.90427 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
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 76002123.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15221739
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.