Kanawha

Kanawha is a Classical Revival residence in Luray featuring a hipped roof covered with green Spanish tiles and a poured-concrete foundation. The structure includes large hipped dormers and a porte-cochère that provides covered entry for vehicles on one side of the property.

Vernon H. Ford, a businessman and mayor of Luray, commissioned this substantial brick and tile-block dwelling in 1921. The property later developed with the addition of gate structures in 1923 and featured a spring that predated the residence itself.

The residence displays refined architectural details with a semicircular Corinthian portico at the front and an enclosed Doric portico at the rear. These features reflect the elevated taste that affluent homeowners of the 1920s wanted to showcase in their properties.

The property is visible from the street and situated in a residential neighborhood of Luray with easy access to walk around the grounds. Visitors can view the exterior architecture and landscape features such as the gate posts and outbuilding from the outside.

The property features a natural spring called Houn Spring that existed on the grounds before the house was built, making it an unusual addition to the estate. Ford preserved this geological feature when establishing the residence, adding a water element to the landscape.