places u.s. national historic landmark virginia landmarks register main house of shirley plantation july 2006 show map of virginia show map of the us location 5 mi . n of hopewell off va 608 hopewell virginia coordinates 37 21 21 n 77 14 39 w 37.35583 n 77.24417 w 37.35583 ; 77.24417 coordinates 37 21 21 n 77 14 39 w 37.35583 n 77.24417 w 37.35583 ; 77.24417 built c. 1723 architect unknown architectural style georgian nrhp reference 69000328 1 vlr 018 0022 significant dates added to nrhp 1 october 1969 designated nhl 15 april 1970 3 designated vlr 5 november 1968 2 shirley plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the james river in charles city county virginia usa . it is located on state route 5 a scenic byway which runs between the independent cities of richmond and williamsburg . shirley plantation is the oldest active plantation in virginia and is the oldest family owned business in north america dating back to 1614 with operations starting in 1638 . 4 the plantation was added to the national register in 1969 and declared a national historic landmark in 1970 . contents 1 history 2 architecture 2.1 exterior 3 see also 4 references 5 further reading 6 external links history edit the shirley plantation c. 1900 1906 . photo by william henry jackson . shirley plantation dovecote the lands of shirley plantation were first settled in 1613 by sir thomas west 3rd baron de la warr and were named west and sherley hundred . the land was cultivated for growing tobacco to be shipped around the colonies and to england . in 1638 a portion of this land was granted to edward hill thus beginning the occupation by the hill family . the original 450 acre 180 ha plot was expanded by marriage and gradual land acquisition . the land passed to edward hill ii who was owner during bacon s rebellion in 1676 . he sided with governor william berkeley and bacon s rebels proceeded to plunder his home . the land was then inherited by edward hill iii in 1700 . edward hill iii s only son edward hill iv died at 16 of consumption leaving no male heirs . the property reverted to edward hill iii s youngest daughter elizabeth who married john carter eldest son of robert king carter in october 1723 . the construction of the present mansion and outbuildings began c. 1723 . the mansion called the great house was completed in 1738 and was located close to the original house built by the hills that became known as the hill house . the hill house stood until the late 1860s when it was demolished and the building materials were salvaged and used to construct the mansion at upper shirley . the house has been occupied by the hill carter family since 1738 and has housed eight generations . 5 it was at shirley that anne hill carter was born and on 18 june 1793 married henry light horse harry lee in the mansion s parlor . the couple were later parents of the famous confederate general robert e. lee . the house is largely in its original state and is owned operated and lived in by direct descendants of edward hill i. the house was placed on the national register in 1969 and recognized as a national historic landmark in 1970 . the upper floors are occupied by members of the eleventh generation of the hill carter family while the bottom floor is open for touring every day from 9 30 a.m. to 4 30 p.m. and closed on thanksgiving day and christmas day . 6 architecture edit exterior edit the three story great house is constructed in the georgian style with red brick walls and white trim boards on a square foundation . the house has no actual front door as both the riverside and courtyard side entrances have a two story portico with doric columns supporting a pediment . the entrance is located in the center framed by a pair of long rectangular windows on either side . the hipped roof rests on an entablature containing dentil moldings . the roof is broken up by dormers and two large brick chimneys . in the center of the roof is a white pedestal supporting an overturned pineapple . 7 the house is surrounded by several support buildings including a two story kitchen with living quarters for slaves 8 a two story laundry with living quarters a smokehouse a stable building an ice house a large storehouse and a dovecote . these buildings all frame the central house lending to the majesty of the building and creating a queen anne forecourt . citation needed see also edit list of oldest companies references edit national park service 2008 04 15 . national register information system . national register of historic places . national park service . virginia landmarks register . virginia department of historic resources . retrieved 5 june 2013 . shirley . national historic landmark summary listing . national park service . retrieved 27 june 2008 . mccormack kathy 2 august 2010 . after 378 years nh family farm goes up for sale press release . dover new hampshire . associated press . retrieved july 23 2014 . shirley plantation . visitwilliamsburg.com . retrieved 8 august 2012 . welcome to shirley plantation charles city virginia . america s oldest family business and virginia s oldest plantation . history for eleven generations since 1613 . shirleyplantation.com . retrieved 8 august 2012 . unknown n.d. . national register of historic places inventory nomination shirley plantation pdf . and accompanying photo slavery and servitude . shirley s history . shirley plantation . retrieved 6 january 2014 . further reading edit masson kathryn & brooke steven ; historic houses of virginia great plantation houses mansions and country places ; rizzoli international publications ; new york city new york ; 2006 isbn 0 8478 2861 1 gleason david king ; virginia plantation homes ; louisiana state press ; baton roughe louisiana ; 1989 isbn 0 8071 1570 3 roberts bruce ; plantation homes of the james river ; university of north carolina press ; chapel hill north carolina ; 1990 isbn 0 8078 1879 8 external links edit wikimedia commons has media related to shirley plantation . official website james river plantations a national park service discover our shared heritage travel itinerary shirley state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 21 photos 5 data pages and 2 photo caption pages at historic american buildings survey shirley pigeon house state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey shirley stable state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 2 photos and 1 data page at historic american buildings survey shirley dependency state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 2 photos at historic american buildings survey shirley brick outbuilding state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey shirley log shed state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey shirley stable state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey shirley smokehouse state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey shirley quarters state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey shirley log barn state route 608 vicinity shirley charles city va 1 photo at historic american buildings survey v t e james river plantations north bank belle air berkeley carter s grove curles neck edgewood evelynton green spring north bend southall richneck sherwood forest shirley varina farms westover south bank appomattox manor bacon s castle chippokes flowerdew hundred lower brandon smith s fort upper brandon v t e u.s. national register of historic places in virginia lists by county accomack albemarle alleghany amelia amherst appomattox arlington augusta bath bedford bland botetourt brunswick buchanan buckingham campbell caroline carroll charles city charlotte chesterfield clarke craig culpeper cumberland dickenson dinwiddie essex fairfax county fauquier floyd fluvanna franklin county frederick giles gloucester goochland grayson greene greensville halifax hanover henrico henry highland isle of wight james city king and queen king george king william lancaster lee loudoun louisa lunenburg madison mathews mecklenburg middlesex montgomery nelson new kent northampton northumberland nottoway orange page patrick pittsylvania powhatan prince edward prince george prince william pulaski rappahannock richmond county roanoke county rockbridge rockingham russell scott shenandoah smyth southampton spotsylvania stafford surry sussex tazewell warren washington westmoreland wise wythe york lists by city alexandria bristol buena vista charlottesville chesapeake colonial heights covington danville emporia fairfax falls church franklin fredericksburg galax hampton harrisonburg hopewell lexington lynchburg manassas manassas park martinsville newport news norfolk norton petersburg poquoson portsmouth radford richmond roanoke salem staunton suffolk virginia beach waynesboro williamsburg winchester other lists bridges national historic landmarks keeper of the register history of the national register of historic places property types historic district contributing property retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title shirley plantation & oldid 744146125 categories historic american buildings survey in virginiahouses on the national register of historic places in virginiaantebellum architecturemuseums in charles city county virginiacarter family residencesjames river plantationsnational historic landmarks in virginia1613 establishments in virginiahouses completed in 1723historic house museums in virginiageorgian architecture in virginiahouses in charles city county virginianational register of historic places in charles city county virginiawest familyplantation houses in virginiahidden categories coordinates on wikidataall articles with unsourced statementsarticles with unsourced statements from may 2013commons category template with 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