Pear Valley facts for kids
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Pear Valley
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Pear Valley in Eastville, Virginia
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Eastville, Virginia |
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| Area | 0 acres (0 ha) |
| Architectural style | Medieval Yeoman's Cottage |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000266 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | March 11, 2013 |
Pear Valley is a very old and special house in Eastville, Virginia. It's a small, one-room cottage that shows us how people built homes a long time ago. This house is a great example of "vernacular architecture." This means it was built using local styles and materials, without a famous architect. Its simple but beautiful details and how well it has been kept make it one of the most interesting old homes in Virginia.
Contents
What Makes Pear Valley Special?
How the House Was Built
Pear Valley is a great example of early homes built near the Chesapeake Bay. It has one and a half stories. The house was built using a "brace-framed" style. This means it has a strong wooden frame. Most of its outside walls are covered with "weatherboard siding," which is still the original material. One wall is made of brick laid in a special pattern called "Flemish bond." This pattern makes the bricks look very neat.
Inside the Cottage
Inside, the house has just one main room. Above this room, there is a "sleeping loft." This was a small area where people could sleep, usually reached by a ladder. The house was built with amazing care and detail. This suggests that the original owners were a bit better off than their neighbors. However, they were not rich enough to build a bigger house made entirely of brick.
Unique Features of the House
Some special parts of Pear Valley include its pyramid-shaped chimney. It also has "glazed brickwork." This means some bricks were given a shiny, glass-like finish. For a long time, people weren't sure exactly when the house was built. But after a lot of study, including using a method called Dendrochronology (which dates wood by looking at its tree rings), experts now believe it was built between 1720 and 1750.
Changes Over Time
The house was changed a few times in the 1800s and early 1900s. From the mid-1940s to the mid-1980s, Pear Valley was not used much as a home. Sometimes, it housed farm workers. Other times, it was used for storage or even as a chicken coop!
Keeping Pear Valley Safe
Who Helped Save It?
In 1986, a group called Preservation Virginia bought Pear Valley. They started a big project to fix it up in 1994. This work included repairing the foundation, which is the base of the house. In 2004, the entire roof was replaced with new cedar shingles. This was done exactly as suggested by a special report about the house's history.
Important Recognitions
Pear Valley was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. This list includes places that are important to American history. Later, in 2013, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This is an even higher honor for places that are very important to the nation.
New Owners and Visiting Today
On November 13, 2014, Preservation Virginia gave ownership of Pear Valley to a new group. This group is called the Northampton Historic Preservation Society. They continue to care for the house. Today, you can visit Pear Valley by making an appointment.
See also
