"June Tolliver" House
Why it's listed
Built in 1890 near the Powell River in Big Stone Gap, this two-and-a-half story brick house is a representative Queen Anne dwelling of the kind that appeared in Southwest Virginia towns during the late nineteenth-century boom. It has a three-bay facade with projecting end bays, pedimented shingled gables, double front doors with large glass panes, and a center-hall, double-pile interior with an open-string stair. The parlor mantel holds a shelf of local coal, and the rest of the mantel is painted to imitate it. The house is also tied to literature. June Morris, the prototype of June Tolliver in John Fox, Jr.'s 1908 novel The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, boarded here while attending school. The parlor and one bedroom are restored to match those described in the book. Furnished with period pieces from the 1890s, the house is open to the public as a museum, and an outdoor drama based on the novel is performed in a playhouse next door.
Significance in brief: The house is typical of the Queen Anne houses built in Southwest Virginia small towns during the late nineteenth-century boom. It is also recognized as the house where June Morris, the prototype of June Tolliver in John Fox, Jr.'s novel The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, boarded while attending school. It is regarded locally as the town's premier landmark.
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 73002067, listed August 28, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | On VA 613, Big Stone Gap |
|---|---|
| County | Wise County |
| Listed | August 28, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73002067 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Literature |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained and in good condition; furnished with 1890s artifacts and furniture, and open to the public as a museum. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 36.86743, -82.77278 (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 73002067.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229860
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.