Ingleside
Also known as: Washington Academy
Why it's listed
Ingleside in Oak Grove, Westmoreland County, is a two-story Flemish-bond brick building set on a high basement. It was built in 1834 as the main building of the Washington Academy, a preparatory school. The temple-form house is entered through a five-bay gable end sheltered by a hexastyle pedimented portico, with columns that have conical bases and capitals made of four corbelled brick bands. Tradition holds that the school's founders patterned it on Jefferson's Virginia capitol in Richmond, though the detailing is described as naive. A 1833 newspaper notice specified the building's dimensions and six-column portico, and the present building matches them. The academy opened in 1835, taught classics, mathematics, English and French, and closed after about ten years because of falling enrollment. The property was sold in 1847 and the main building became a private residence named Ingleside. It is regarded as an example of institutional architecture of its period. The nominated acreage covers the house, its yard and the axial entrance drive.
Significance in brief: The building is presented as an interesting example of institutional architecture from the antebellum period and is associated with the Washington Academy, one of several early nineteenth-century preparatory schools in Virginia. Its classical temple form does not follow a specific contemporary movement, though tradition says it was patterned on Jefferson's Virginia capitol in Richmond.
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 79003094, listed March 15, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Oak Grove on VA 638, Oak Grove |
|---|---|
| County | Westmoreland County |
| Listed | March 15, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79003094 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1834 |
| Architectural style | Temple-form building with vaguely Classical character, using no specific Greek or Roman order |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied and used as a private residence; condition marked excellent but altered, with one-story wings and other changes added in recent years. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 38.14942, -77.00452 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 79003094.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15228678
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.