One of the city of Falls Church’s principal historic resources, Mount Hope has two distinct parts: a simple frame dwelling and a more elaborate Victorian ornamental villa, both virtually intact and joined by an infill section of uncertain date. The earlier portion was erected around 1815. The brick portion was built in 1869 by A. E. Lounsberry for William A. Duncan for $3,000, a sizeable sum at the time. Tax records indicate that in 1875 the brick section was valued higher than both Gunston Hall and Woodlawn. Its exterior is distinguished by its spirited wooden detailing, particularly the balconied gable. Although the original 216-acre Mount Hope farm in Falls Church has been developed, the house and remaining half acre of land are protected by a local easement.
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
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