National Register of Historic Places

Aurora

Spencer, Patrick County, Virginia
Listed
February 4, 1991
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
91000015

About this property

Aurora, also known as the Pink House, Boxwood, and the Penn Homestead, is a historic home located at Penn's Store near Spencer, Patrick County, Virginia. It was built between 1853 and 1856, and is a two-story, three-bay, hipped-roof frame house in the Italian Villa style. It features one-story porches on the east and west facades, round-arched windows, clustered chimneys, and low pitched roofs. Also on the property is a contributing small one-story frame building once used as an office. It was built by Thomas Jefferson Penn (1810-1888), whose son, Frank Reid Penn founded the company F.R & G. Penn Co. that was eventually acquired by tobacco magnate James Duke to form the American Tobacco Company. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Location

Spencer, Patrick County, Virginia
36.60108, -80.05290

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Aurora

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Spencer-Penn School
Industrial
2.4 mi
Bassett, John D., High School
Industrial
2.4 mi
Grassdale Farm
Early Republic
2.6 mi
Reynolds Homestead
Industrial
6.1 mi
Rock Run School
Industrial
9.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Stoneman's Raid — Danbury NC (Stokes County)
1865Civil War
15.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Aurora listed on the National Register?

Aurora was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Aurora?

Aurora is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Aurora?

The period of significance for Aurora is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Aurora?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Aurora will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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