National Register of Historic Places

Tusculum

Amherst, Amherst County, Virginia
Listed
November 19, 2004
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
04001244

About this property

Tusculum was a historic home located near Amherst in Amherst County, Virginia, United States. It was a two-story Georgian and Federal style frame house built in two principal phases. The north section was built possibly as early as the 1750s, with the south section added about 1805. It sat on a brick and stone foundation and was covered in beaded weatherboard siding. The house was acquired by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities in 2003. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. The house has been described as "one of the oldest and most architecturally significant dwellings in the Virginia Piedmont", and is said by one source to have been the birthplace of Senator William H. Crawford. Tusculum was once owned by Elijah Fletcher, whose daughter, Indiana Fletcher Williams, was the founder of Sweet Briar College; it was the childhood home of her mother, Maria Crawford. The college collaborated with the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities to purchase the house for preservation, and in 2006 it was carefully dismantled, and removed to a dairy barn on the college campus. Plans were announced, in 2008, to re-erect the house on land behind Sweet Briar House and turn it into a center for community history and outreach. However, the cost of renovation proved to be too great, and in 2013 it was decided to offer the home for sale, with stipulations as to the manner in which it could be restored. In 2014 the home was purchased by a local couple who announced plans to rebuild it at Forks of Buffalo, around eight miles from its original location in the vicinity of Clifford. The Tusculum Institute at Sweet Briar College, dedicated to the discussion and preservation of local history and the support and teaching of historic preservation, takes its name from the house.

Location

2077 N. Amherst Hwy. (US 29)
Amherst, Amherst County, Virginia
37.63640, -78.99716

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Tusculum

This page lists Tusculum. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

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.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Tusculum report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Mountain View Farm
Industrial
0.8 mi
Glebe, The
Industrial
1.2 mi
Brick House
Industrial
1.5 mi
Clifford-New Glasgow Historic District
Colonial
1.5 mi
Winton
Industrial
1.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Hunter's Raid: Lexington to Lynchburg (Amherst County, 1864)
1864Civil War
5.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tusculum listed on the National Register?

Tusculum was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 19, 2004.

What type of historic resource is Tusculum?

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

What is the period of significance for Tusculum?

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

Can I research the history near Tusculum?

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 Tusculum will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Amherst County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Amherst County.

Explore AmherstCounty ›

More historic places in Virginia

Browse all historic places in Virginia.

View Virginiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Virginia history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Virginiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Tusculum will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report