Erected ca. 1790, Montezuma is a singular example of Piedmont Federal architecture, located in Nelson County’s Norwood-Wingina Rural Historic District. Its impressive scale, unusual floor plan, fine woodwork, and Roman Revival dwarf portico set it apart from the more standard gentry houses of the period and region. The large scale results in exceptionally tall windows. Montezuma was built for William Cabell, Jr., a son of the immigrant William Cabell who settled in the area in the second quarter of the 18th century. The Cabells built nearly a dozen architecturally distinguished houses in what became Nelson County; Montezuma, Bon Aire, and Soldier’s Joy are among those that remain. Thomas Jefferson was a friend of the family and may have had an influence on the design of Montezuma. The combination of a Chinese lattice railing with a classical portico is a distinctly Jeffersonian touch.