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, small house in Eastville, Virginia. It's a great example of a "yeoman's cottage," which means it was built for a farmer who owned his own land. This house is special because it shows a type of building called "vernacular architecture." This means it was built using local styles and materials, without a famous architect. Pear Valley is one of the most interesting old homes in Virginia because it's so well-preserved and has unique details.
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What Makes Pear Valley Special?
Pear Valley shows us what homes looked like in the early Chesapeake Bay area. It is a one-and-a-half story house. The outside is covered with wooden boards, and most of them are original. One wall is made of brick.
Inside the House
The inside of Pear Valley has just one main room. Above this room, there is a small sleeping area called a loft. Even though it's a small house, it was built with great care and detail. The people who owned it were probably a bit better off than their neighbors. However, they were not rich enough to build a bigger house made entirely of brick.
Unique Features
Some special parts of the house include its pyramid-shaped chimney. It also has bricks that look shiny, called "glazed brickwork." For a long time, people weren't sure exactly when the house was built. But studies using Dendrochronology (which is dating wood by looking at its tree rings) showed it was built between 1720 and 1750. The house was changed a few times in the 1800s and early 1900s. From the 1940s to the 1980s, it wasn't used much. Sometimes it housed farm workers, but it was also used for storage or even as a chicken coop!
Keeping Pear Valley Safe
Preservation Virginia is a group that works to save historic places. They bought Pear Valley in 1986. They started a big project in 1994 to fix up the house, including its foundation. In 2004, the entire roof was replaced with cedar shingles, just as old records suggested.
Important Recognitions
Pear Valley was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. This list includes important historic sites across the country. In 2013, it was given an even higher honor: it became a National Historic Landmark. On November 13, 2014, Preservation Virginia gave ownership of Pear Valley to a new group called the Northampton Historic Preservation Society.
Today, you can visit Pear Valley by making an appointment.
See also
