Bell House
Also known as: House at 821 Irving Avenue
Why it's listed
Overlooking the Potomac River from Irving Avenue in Colonial Beach, this 2½-story wood-frame house was built between 1883 and 1885 during the town's first subdivision and growth as a river resort. It is a rare Virginia example of the Stick Style, with a cross-gable roof, a central pyramidal-roofed tower, projecting gables, a wraparound porch with turned posts and sawn brackets, and colored-glass window sashes. Inside, the central stair hall, bull's eye corner blocks and mantels with mirrored overmantels survive. The house also has a strong family connection. Alexander Melville Bell, father of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell, bought it in 1886 as a summer home. The inventor inherited it in 1907 and the family kept it until 1918. Local tradition says he flew kites and flying machines from its balcony. A late 19th-century privy contributes to the property, while a ca. 1930 garage does not.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is one of the most important examples of Stick Style residential architecture in Virginia, a style that is rare in the state. It is also the only building in Virginia directly associated with inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who inherited it in 1907 and held it until 1918. It also represents the wood-frame cottages built in Colonial Beach during its 1880s development as a Potomac River resort.
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 87000692, listed September 21, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 821 Irving Ave., Colonial Beach |
|---|---|
| County | Westmoreland County |
| Listed | September 21, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000692 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Stick Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture, Invention |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; the form says the owners were restoring it, and the condition is listed as good and altered. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 38.24084, -76.95797 (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 87000692.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4883187
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.