Green Springs National Historic Landmark District

This article is about the National Park Service-managed district in Louisa County, Virginia. For the National Park Service site in James City County, Virginia, see Green Spring Plantation.
Green Springs Historic District
"Bracketts," located in the Green Springs District
Location Louisa County, Virginia, USA
Nearest city Zion Crossroads, Virginia
Coordinates 38°1′23″N 78°9′55″W / 38.02306°N 78.16528°WCoordinates: 38°1′23″N 78°9′55″W / 38.02306°N 78.16528°W
Area 14,004 acres (5,667 ha)
5,766.04 federal easements
56.67 km²
Architect Multiple
Architectural style Greek Revival, Italianate, Federal
Governing body National Park Service
(affiliated area of Shenandoah NP)
NRHP Reference # 73002036[1]
VLR # 054-0111
Significant dates
Added to NRHP March 07, 1973
Designated VLR February 20, 1973[2]

Green Springs National Historic Landmark District is a national historic district in Louisa County, Virginia noted for its concentration of fine rural manor houses and related buildings in an intact agricultural landscape. The district comprises 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of fertile land, contrasting with the more typical poor soil and scrub pinelands surrounding it.

Description

The district is located 1.5 miles (2 km) north of Interstate 64 from exit No. 136, "Zion Crossroads." The district is roughly bounded by U.S. Route 15 and Virginia Routes 22 and 613. The area is named for a natural spring noted by Thomas Jefferson as possessing "some medicinal virtue." The district features a mixture of wooded and farmed lands. Its distinguishing geological feature is the presence of a heavy clay soil that retains plant nutrients and moisture, creating an open landscape suitable for farming. The area is noted for its park-like views, particularly from U.S. Route 15.[3]

Preservation

The district was preserved following attempts by the state of Virginia to build a prison there, and after a strip mine was proposed in the area to mine clay for cat litter.[4]

The strip mine happened anyway (Google Earth maps of the area clearly show the destruction caused by the mine) but not on the scale that was intended originally and a great many significant houses and lands continue to be preserved and excluded from the development that is transforming some of the area around the district.

National Register properties

Significant places listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places include:

Major historic properties

Major historic properties in the district include:

Other properties

Other historic properties include:

The district also includes the village of Poindexter at the intersection of Virginia Routes 613 and 640.[3]

Status

On May 30, 1974 the district was declared a National Historic Landmark.[13] On December 12, 1977, the United States Secretary of the Interior agreed to accept preservation easements for nearly half of the 14,004 acres (57 km2) in the district. These allow the NPS to own development rights to the land, and to ensure its continuing rural and agricultural nature. The district is an affiliated area of Shenandoah National Park. The National Park Service does not provide any facilities in the district.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (February 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Green Springs Historic District" (PDF). Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  4. ↑ Wilson, Richard Guy, ed. (2002). The Buildings of Virginia:Tidewater and Piedmont. Oxford Press. pp. 135–136. ISBN 0-19-515206-9.
  5. ↑ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (April 28, 1969). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Boswell's Tavern" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  6. ↑ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (December 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Grassdale" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  7. ↑ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (May 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Green Springs" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (July 16, 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Hawkwood" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  9. ↑ "Hawkwood". Journey Through Hallowed Ground. National Park Service.
  10. ↑ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (May 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Ionia" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  11. ↑ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (July 17, 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Westend" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "Suspected twister damages historic home in Va. county that was epicenter of August earthquake". Washington Post (via AP). October 13, 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  13. ↑ "Green Springs Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-26.

External links