Ionia (Trevilians, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Ionia is a frame house near Trevilians, Virginia
, that was the centerpiece of a large plantation in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Built around 1775, Ionia was the home of the Watson family. It was built as Clover Plains by Major James Watson, the son of a Scottish immigrant, in a fertile area of Louisa County, Virginia
that is now a National Historic Landmark District, the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District
. The plantation was the third largest in Louisa County in the late 18th century, leading to the nickname "Wheat Stacks" for Watson as a result of his prosperity. After Major Watson's death in 1845 the house passed to his son, Dr. George Watson, who renamed the house "Ionia" and, since he lived in Richmond
, used it as a summer residence. George Watson died in 1854, leaving Ionia to his widow, who lived there until the 1870s. Following her death in 1879 the property was subdivided. The Watson family went on to build a number of houses in the Green Springs area.
The house is a 1-1/2-story frame structure, covered with wood clapboards. One-story wings flank the main block on either side, with an ell to the rear. The house retains much of its original woodwork. The property includes several dependencies, including a dairy house, smoke house, kitchen, slave quarters and an early barn.
Ionia was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on June 30, 1972.
Trevilians, Virginia
Trevilians is an unincorporated community in Louisa County, Virginia, United States. Trevilians is located at the junction of U.S. Route 33 and Virginia State Route 22 west-northwest of Louisa. Trevilians has a post office with ZIP code 23170....
, that was the centerpiece of a large plantation in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Built around 1775, Ionia was the home of the Watson family. It was built as Clover Plains by Major James Watson, the son of a Scottish immigrant, in a fertile area of Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County, Virginia
Louisa County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 33,153. The county seat is Louisa.- History :...
that is now a National Historic Landmark District, the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District
Green Springs National Historic Landmark District
Green Springs National Historic Landmark District is a national historic district in Louisa County, Virginia noted for its concentration of fine rural manor houses and related buildings in an intact agricultural landscape...
. The plantation was the third largest in Louisa County in the late 18th century, leading to the nickname "Wheat Stacks" for Watson as a result of his prosperity. After Major Watson's death in 1845 the house passed to his son, Dr. George Watson, who renamed the house "Ionia" and, since he lived in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, used it as a summer residence. George Watson died in 1854, leaving Ionia to his widow, who lived there until the 1870s. Following her death in 1879 the property was subdivided. The Watson family went on to build a number of houses in the Green Springs area.
The house is a 1-1/2-story frame structure, covered with wood clapboards. One-story wings flank the main block on either side, with an ell to the rear. The house retains much of its original woodwork. The property includes several dependencies, including a dairy house, smoke house, kitchen, slave quarters and an early barn.
Ionia was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on June 30, 1972.
External links
- Ionia at the Green Springs National Historic Landmark District, NPS
- Ionia (Main House), Near Route 640, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA, at the istoric American Buildings Survey (HABS)
- Ionia, Barn, Route 640 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA at HABS
- Ionia, Outbuilding, Route 640 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA at HABS
- Ionia, Smokehouse, Route 640 vicinity, Trevilians vicinity, Louisa, VA at HABS