Chatham is located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in the vicinity of the Bridgetown community of Northampton County. The house is notable as an excellent example of the Federal style of architecture and is representative of the elaborate dwellings that were constructed on the Eastern Shore during the early 19th century. Built in 1818 for Major Scarborough Pitts, the dwelling, in addition to its fine exterior brickwork, is detailed with concrete belt courses, window lintels, bull’s-eye corner blocks, and a classically inspired cornice. The interior of Chatham is as impressive with its fine woodwork, including paneled wainscot, an elegant stair, and carved mantels that exhibits unusual and refined details.  At the time of listing in the registers, the property’s owners had reunited over half of Chatham’s land that was first patented in 1640.  Oyster and clam beds in nearby Church Creek have been leased to watermen, and the agricultural tradition at Chatham has been continued through the Shore’s first successful vineyard and winery, the Chatham Vineyards, Church Creek. Chatham is also significant as a property with a demonstrated high potential to yield intact prehistoric and historic archaeological deposits.