Mannheim

Mannheim is a stone house with two stories and three bays, marked by a steep gable roof with overhanging eaves and a central chimney running up the front. The property includes several outbuildings made of brick and logs, such as former worker quarters, a smokehouse, an office, and a storage shed for poultry.

David Coffman built Mannheim in 1788 on a 360-acre plantation and named it after the German city where his family came from. The structure blends Colonial and Greek Revival design elements, reflecting the shifting building trends of that era.

The building shows how architecture evolved in this part of Virginia, with design choices from different periods visible in its stone walls and formal details. Visitors can see how families adapted building styles to their needs and the available materials over generations.

The property sits on Wengers Mill Road and is best explored on foot to see the stonework and craftsmanship of the outbuildings up close. Visitors should expect uneven ground and older stairs throughout, as these historic structures have not been modernized.

A university professor purchased the property in the 1990s and conducted extensive restoration work to return it to its original 18th-century state. This restoration effort became known among specialists for carefully undoing alterations that had been added over the years.