Nomination Form
Snugly set in the Powhatan County countryside, the genteel homestead of Blenheim is among the region’s earliest dwellings, situated on land patented in 1730 by the noted 18th-century surveyor, William Mayo. The original portion of the house began as a simple hall/parlor cottage constructed in the second half of the 18th century by Mayo’s son John, a member of the House of Burgesses. This core was expanded by Mayo’s grandson, William, and subsequent owners, into a rambling, U-shaped family seat. Lending visual character to the Blenheim exterior are the shed dormers, a regional architectural idiom. Much of the present interior woodwork is country Federal and Greek Revival, dating from the first half of the 19th century. The younger William Mayo was a member of the first Cumberland County Court and served in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1777-1781 and 1783-1785.
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
