Dr. Richard Thornton House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dr. Richard Thornton House
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Front of the house, seen through surrounding trees
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 Location in Virginia
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| Location | Golden Leaf and Tobacco Roads |
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| Nearest city | Nathalie, Virginia |
| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Built | 1818 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000987 |
| Added to NRHP | November 28, 2012 |
The Dr. Richard Thornton House is a historic home located in Halifax County, Virginia. It was built in 1818 by Dr. Richard Thornton. He was a doctor and also the grandson of William Thornton, a well-known politician from the Colonial era. This house is a great example of history from the early 1800s.
Contents
History of the Thornton House
Building a Doctor's Home
Dr. Richard Thornton built this house around 1818. He was born in 1786. By 1810, he had started his medical practice. He also had a farm in Halifax County, Virginia. Dr. Thornton began building his home in 1818. The main house did not change much while he lived there.
Unique Design for Learning
The house has a special inside design. People believe this design helped provide rooms for medical students. These students would have lived there while studying to become doctors. This shows how important education was back then.
Passing Through Generations
Dr. Thornton passed away in 1860. At that time, his farm was very productive. It grew a lot of tobacco. His nephew, Dr. John Lemuel Thornton, took over the property. Later, in 1889, the Thornton family sold the house. It was bought by the Marshall family.
The Marshall family owned the house until 1983. In 1984, the Smith family bought the house and land. The house has been empty for some time. Recently, it has been secured to protect it from damage.
