Peyton Randolph House facts for kids
|
Peyton Randolph House
|
|
|
U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
|
 |
|
 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Corner of Nicholson and N. England Sts., Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia |
|---|---|
| Built | 1715 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Williamsburg Historic District (ID66000925) |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000863 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | April 15, 1970 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 9, 1960 |
The Peyton Randolph House, also known as the Randolph-Peachy House, is a really old and important house in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. It's now a museum where you can learn about history. The oldest part of the house was built around 1715, making it one of the oldest buildings still standing in the museum area.
This house is special because it was the home of Peyton Randolph (1721–1775). He was an important person called a Founding Father of the United States. He was even the first and third President of the Continental Congress, which was like the first government of the American colonies before the United States was officially formed. Because of its history, the house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
Contents
A Look Inside: History of the Randolph House
The Randolph House is right in the middle of Colonial Williamsburg. You can find it at the corner of Nicholson and North England Streets. It's a two-story house made of wood. It looks like a long main building with a smaller section attached to the side.
The main part of the house has a special roof. The western side has a sloped roof on all four sides (called a hipped roof). The eastern side has a roof that slopes down on two sides (called a gabled roof). The front door is in the middle and has a small roof over it. The windows aren't perfectly lined up, which shows how the house was built over time. Inside, you can still see original wood from the 1700s and a fancy marble fireplace.
How the House Grew
The oldest part of the house is the western half of the main building. It was built around 1715 by a man named William Robertson. Later, in 1724, Sir John Randolph bought this house. He also bought the land next to it and built a second house there.
Sir John's son, Peyton Randolph, connected the two houses by building a middle section. The eastern part of the house didn't have a way to get inside from the rest of the house. It might have been used by Peyton Randolph as an office. The western part of the house originally had a fully hipped roof. The space between this roof and the middle section's gable was used to collect rainwater. There's even a water tank, called a cistern, still in the attic!
A Hospital During Wartime
During the American Civil War, the Peachy Family owned the house. It was used as a hospital for soldiers who were hurt. Both Union and Confederate troops received care here after the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862.
Restoration and Discoveries
Colonial Williamsburg worked to restore the building between 1938 and 1940. The original east wing was in bad shape, so it was taken down and rebuilt. During this work, they found something very interesting. The area contained at least two burial sites of Native American Indians and some pottery. These graves were disturbed in 1941 when a tunnel was built for the Colonial National Parkway.
In 1970, the house was officially named a National Historic Landmark. This was because it's a great example of early 18th-century architecture. It's also important because of its connection to the famous Randolph family, who played a big part in American history.
