The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia)

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Coordinates: 38°18′1″N 77°27′28″W / 38.30028°N 77.45778°W / 38.30028; -77.45778
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The Chimneys
The Chimneys (1771) in Fredericksburg, Virginia
The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia) is located in Northern Virginia
The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia) is located in Virginia
The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia) is located in the United States
The Chimneys (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
Location623 Caroline St., Fredericksburg, Virginia
Coordinates38°18′1″N 77°27′28″W / 38.30028°N 77.45778°W / 38.30028; -77.45778
Arealess than one acre
Built1771
Architectural styleGeorgian
NRHP reference No.75002109[1]
VLR No.111-0015
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 3, 1975
Designated VLRDecember 17, 1974[2]

The Chimneys is a historic house located in

mantelpiece as well as on the door and window frames is particularly significant.[1][4][5]

Design and construction

The Chimneys' floor plan has two rooms on each side of a central hall.

colonies in the mid- to late 18th century and The Chimneys' hipped roof framing utilizes techniques common in the construction of ships' hulls at the time. The roof is supported by three heavy king post trusses.[4][6]

History

It is uncertain who originally owned The Chimneys. John Glassell (1731-1806),

Galloway, Scotland in the 1770s and purchased land in Fredericksburg from Charles Yates. Researchers at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg suggest that the house was built by Yates prior to the purchase by Glassell.[4][5]

During the

loyalist. He went to Scotland in 1775 and never returned. Ownership of The Chimneys passed to William Glassell to whom John Glassell had given power of attorney. An insurance policy written in 1792 showed William as the owner.[4]

In the 1800s, the house was bought and sold many times. One famous resident was Ellen Lewis Herndon "Nell" Arthur (1837-1880), later the wife of

U.S. President Chester A. Arthur, who lived at The Chimneys as a child.[4] The house was purchased in 1966 by the president of the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation and, for a time, the house was rented for income. In 1975 the Foundation moved its museum and offices into The Chimneys.[4]

After William Vakos purchased and renovated it in 1982, the building was sold to Robert Mitchell III in 1985. In 2000, ownership passed to Tommy Mitchell (no relation), the current owner. A succession restaurants have operated out of the property since its renovation.[4]

Renovation

In 1982, the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation sold The Chimneys to William Vakos, who secured permission from Fredericksburg's Architectural Review Board and Zoning Board to create a restaurant in the building.[4] During the renovation, the structure's weatherboarding was repainted in the original colors and porches were added at the rear of the building as well as in the front of the building where a 2-story porch was built. A veranda overlooking an English garden was added. Plumbing, electrical systems, and heating were also replaced. Prior to reconstruction, all changes were approved by the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. ^ Notes on Virginia. Virginia Research Center for Archaeology, Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission. 1975. p. 9.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Makarechian, Ellen (11 March 2006). "The Chimneys: HFFI success story". The Free Lance-Star; Fredericksburg, Virginia. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  5. ^
    ISBN 9780813918624
    . Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  6. ^ a b c "The Chimneys" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. United States Department of the Interior; National Park Service. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  7. ^ Hayden, Horace Edwin (1891). Virginia genealogies: a genealogy of the Glassell family of Scotland and Virginia. E.B. Yordy. p. 4.
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