Walter Reed Birthplace, Historic home in Gloucester County, Virginia, United States.
The Walter Reed Birthplace is a one-story timber house with a gabled roof and a rear shed addition sitting on roughly 10 acres in a rural setting. The simple structure shows the typical building style of residential homes from that era in Tidewater Virginia.
The house was constructed in 1821 and is older than historical records had previously documented. The Medical Society of Virginia purchased the property in 1926 and carried out its first restoration work at that time.
The cottage represents the modest roots of someone who would later transform medical science through his discoveries. Today, visitors can observe how plainly people lived in this rural area.
The property can only be visited by appointment, as the Gloucester Preservation Foundation manages access and requires advance scheduling. Planning ahead to arrange a visit time is necessary before making the trip.
Scientists used tree ring analysis on the wood structure to determine the house was actually built in summer 1821, which contradicted earlier dating assumptions. This dendrochronological study helped establish the exact construction period with precision.
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