This symmetrical plantation house of Little England, in a commanding position at the mouth of Sara’s Creek in Gloucester County, is a distinguished example of mid-18th-century Tidewater architecture. Typical of the colony’s finest dwellings, Little England is very plain on the exterior, relying on its regular fenestration, geometrical proportions, and fine brickwork for aesthetic effect. In contrast to the exterior, the interior of Little England has fully paneled walls and is highlighted by architectural chimneypieces and a Georgian stair railing, all showing colonial Virginia joinery at its best. The Gloucester County property was granted to John Perrin in 1651; the present house at Little England was built some 100 years later by his descendant, also named John Perrin. One of the frame wings is an 18th-century addition that originally was attached to the center of the land front and moved to the north end in the 1930s when the house was restored.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia