Prestwould facts for kids
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Prestwould
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Prestwould, June 2009
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | N of Clarksville, Virginia |
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| Area | 46 acres (19 ha) |
| Built | 1795 |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000260 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | July 31, 2003 |
Prestwould is a very old and important house located near Clarksville, Virginia. It's one of the best-preserved historic plantation homes in the southern part of Virginia. A plantation was a large farm where people grew crops like tobacco or cotton.
The house was built by a man named Sir Peyton Skipwith, 7th Baronet Skipwith. He moved his family to Prestwould in 1797. Because of its history and how well it has been kept, Prestwould was named a National Historic Landmark in 2003. This means it's a very special place in American history.
You can find Prestwould on the north side of the Roanoke River. It's about one mile inland from the river. Today, Prestwould is a museum. You can visit it for tours from April to October. You can also make an appointment to see it at other times.
What is Prestwould Like?
Prestwould Plantation covers about 46 acres of land today. It sits on a hill that looks out over the John H. Kerr Reservoir. This reservoir was created in the 1950s when a dam was built on the Roanoke River.
Buildings at Prestwould
The plantation has eight main buildings. All of these buildings were built before 1830. Most of them date back to the 1780s.
- The Main House: This is a beautiful stone building. It has a special roof shape called a hip roof. There are two chimneys inside the house. The front of the house is balanced, with seven sections. The middle three sections on the first floor have a covered porch. This porch is supported by strong columns. You can find similar porches on two other sides of the house.
- Other Buildings: The other buildings on the property are made of wood. They include:
- An office
- A plantation store
- Buildings where enslaved people lived
- Two smokehouses (used for curing meat)
These buildings help us understand what life was like on a large farm in the past.
See Also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Mecklenburg County, Virginia
Images for kids
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Prestwould, photographed in 1935.
