Newtown originated in the late colonial period as a King & Queen County crossroads settlement on the Great Post Road that ran from Williamsburg to Philadelphia. Supporting a long succession of private schools, Newtown prospered in the antebellum period as the county’s largest post village. During the Civil War it was the scene of troop maneuvers by both sides. Newtown’s former prosperity is reflected in its collection of a half-dozen, Federal-period frame houses, all substantial two-story structures on high brick basements. One of the houses served as the Newtown Female Institute from 1854 to the Civil War. At the crossroads is the Lee-Boulware House, which later became the home of Dr. Thomas Bates, who cared for Confederate sick and wounded. Although now devoid of commercial activity, the Newtown Historic District preserves its quiet, 19th-century flavor.
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
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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