Nomination Form
Built in 1853 by William B. Standard, the original house at Ben Dover, located in Goochland County, is most associated with architect Richard Upjohn. Ben Dover’s most notable inhabitant, William T. Reed, Sr., transformed the Italian Villa house into a 1920s Colonial Revival mansion. Reed, a close advisor to Governor Harry Byrd, headed a committee formed to reassess the efficiency of Virginia state government in the 1920s. Reed played a major role in abolishing what was perceived as unnecessary bureaucracy, resulting in reduced taxes, a balanced budget, and a surplus. Charles Lindbergh landed his plane in a Ben Dover field during one of his many visits with Reed.
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
Nomination Form
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
