Nomination Form
This distinctive structure, Virginia’s only known hexagonal dwelling, was built in 1871-73 for James W. Burgess. Its polygonal form was likely influenced by Orson S. Fowler’s A Home For All (1853), a theoretical architectural work which advocated the octagon as the most practical, economical, and healthful form for American dwellings. In keeping with Fowler’s recommendation, each of the principal rooms in the Hexagon House has ventilators to remove “bad” air. James W. Burgess was a successful furniture dealer and also sold caskets. The house and its sloping park-like grounds, a vestige of 19th-century romantic landscaping, is owned by the Glass-Glen Burnie Foundation and it located in the Winchester Historic District.
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
