Sanders Farm
Also known as: VDHR file no. 098-0192
Why it's listed
Sanders Farm occupies about 170 acres of bottomland and hillside on the north side of the New River in southeast Wythe County, Virginia. Its main building is the Brick House, a two-story brick Victorian dwelling built about 1880 for John P. M. Sanders, with ornamental gables, porches, a slate roof and plaster ceiling medallions in the principal rooms. Behind it are a springhouse, servants quarters, reservoir, shop, store, granary, barn, corncribs and scales house, with a tenant house to the northeast. At the north end lies the site of the Hematite Iron Company Mine, where ore was removed by hydraulic mining in the late 1880s and tram line beds remain. Sanders sold land and mineral rights to iron companies during the same years the Norfolk & Western Railroad built a line across the river. The property was listed for this combination of an intact farmstead and its connection to local iron mining, despite the intrusive Interstate 77 bridges nearby.
Significance in brief: The farm preserves a nearly complete set of domestic and agricultural buildings tied to the Sanders family, centered on the Brick House built around 1879-80 for John P. M. Sanders. It also includes the late-1880s Hematite Iron Company Mine, linked to the nearby Norfolk & Western railroad line. The form says the property has good integrity, though its setting is compromised by the Interstate 77 bridges.
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 03000454, listed May 22, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3908 Fort Chiswell Rd., Max Meadows |
|---|---|
| County | Wythe County |
| Listed | May 22, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000454 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic functions include dwelling, store, farming and mining; the form also lists a vacant/not in use category. Several outbuildings are deteriorated or in ruins, and the store's lower openings are boarded over. |
| Acreage | 170 |
| Coordinates | 36.87786, -80.86981 (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 03000454.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15275008
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.