John Hite House, Greek Revival house in Frederick County, Virginia.
The John Hite House is an 18th-century residence built from locally quarried limestone with walls laid in an irregular pattern that gives it a distinctive appearance. A four-column porch spans two stories on the front, and the surrounding property includes a stone outbuilding, a spring house for water storage, and a family cemetery.
The house was built in 1753 and underwent major changes around 1835 when the construction of the Valley Turnpike required the building to be reoriented and updated with Greek Revival styling. This transformation shows how growing road traffic reshaped the design of rural properties during the 19th century.
The property reflects how early European settlers built their lives in the Shenandoah Valley, with the house serving as both a home and a focal point for the community. The remnants of an earlier tavern on the grounds speak to the role such places played in connecting travelers and neighbors.
The property sits along the historic Valley Turnpike route, making it accessible as you travel through the area and easy to locate from the main road. Plan to spend time exploring the various buildings and the cemetery scattered across the grounds to see the full picture of the historic settlement.
An 1864 sketch by artist James Taylor provides a visual record of the house during the Civil War, showing its position within the surrounding landscape. This historical drawing is one of the few detailed contemporary images that survive from that period of upheaval.
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