Upper Shirley, human settlement in Virginia, United States of America
Upper Shirley is a historic house on an estate in Charles City County, Virginia. The two-story brick building was constructed between 1868 and 1870, then expanded around 1890, featuring a classical columned portico on its west side.
The house was built by Hill Carter for his son William Fitzhugh Carter between 1868 and 1870, shortly after the Civil War when the region was rebuilding. The bricks came from an 18th-century building on the Shirley estate, creating a link to its earlier past.
Upper Shirley carries its name to distinguish it from the nearby Shirley Plantation. The house shows how families lived and designed their homes in rural Virginia during the late 1800s.
The house is privately owned and not open for public tours, but can be viewed from the public road at a respectful distance. Its peaceful, natural setting near the James River makes the area a pleasant spot for walks through rural Virginia's historic landscape.
The bricks used to build the house were salvaged from an 18th-century building and reused, showing how people conserved materials in that era. Another surprising aspect is that the property now shares its grounds with Upper Shirley Vineyards, blending historic heritage with modern winemaking.
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