National Register of Historic Places

Bell House

Colonial Beach, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Listed
September 20, 1987
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87000692

About this property

Bell House, also known as the summer home of Alexander Graham Bell, is a historic home located at Colonial Beach, Westmoreland County, Virginia. It is a 2+1⁄2-story, five-bay Stick Style frame dwelling originally built between 1883 and 1885 for Helen and Colonel J.O.P Burnside. It features a wraparound porch with turned posts and sawn brackets and a central projecting tower with a pyramidal roof and balcony overhang. Also on the property are a contributing privy and garage (c. 1930). Alexander Graham Bell inherited the property in 1907 from his father Alexander Melville Bell, who acquired it in 1886, and held it continuously until 1918. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Location

821 Irving Ave.
Colonial Beach, Westmoreland County, Virginia
38.24084, -76.95797

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTUREINVENTION
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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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
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Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Monroe, James, Family Home Site (Boundary Increase)
Industrial
1.6 mi
George Washington Birthplace National Monument
Industrial
3.4 mi
Blenheim
Industrial
3.7 mi
St. Peter's Episcopal Church
Industrial
4.5 mi
Roxbury
Industrial
6.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bell House listed on the National Register?

Bell House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 20, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Bell House?

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

What is the period of significance for Bell House?

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

Can I research the history near Bell House?

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