Otterburn (Bedford, Virginia)
Encyclopedia
Otterburn is a Palladian
-influenced Greek Revival house near Bedford, Virginia
. The house was built in 1828 for Benjamin A. and Sally Camm McDonald, but burned in 1841 and was reconstructed by 1843. At this time the final form of the house was created with the introduction of a loggia
, cross-gable roof and Greek Revivial detailing. The house was the seat of a 1651 acres (668.1 ha) estate by 1825, with a mill, sawmill, and dependent structures.
After McDonald's death in 1871 the property passed through several owners until 1950, when the house became the Hines Memorial Pythian Home, an orphanage
operated by the Knights of Pythias
. A detached dormitory was added at this time. The orphanage ceased operations in the early 1960s, but operated for two years in the late 1960s as the Otterburn Academy, a private school for white children created as a response to court-ordered desegregation
. In later years the property was operated as a rest home for the elderly. The house is presently being restored.
Palladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
-influenced Greek Revival house near Bedford, Virginia
Bedford, Virginia
Bedford is an independent city located within the confines of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It serves as the county seat of Bedford County. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 6,222. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Bedford with surrounding Bedford...
. The house was built in 1828 for Benjamin A. and Sally Camm McDonald, but burned in 1841 and was reconstructed by 1843. At this time the final form of the house was created with the introduction of a loggia
Loggia
Loggia is the name given to an architectural feature, originally of Minoan design. They are often a gallery or corridor at ground level, sometimes higher, on the facade of a building and open to the air on one side, where it is supported by columns or pierced openings in the wall...
, cross-gable roof and Greek Revivial detailing. The house was the seat of a 1651 acres (668.1 ha) estate by 1825, with a mill, sawmill, and dependent structures.
After McDonald's death in 1871 the property passed through several owners until 1950, when the house became the Hines Memorial Pythian Home, an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
operated by the Knights of Pythias
Knights of Pythias
The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded at Washington, DC, on 19 February 1864.The Knights of Pythias was the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, who had been...
. A detached dormitory was added at this time. The orphanage ceased operations in the early 1960s, but operated for two years in the late 1960s as the Otterburn Academy, a private school for white children created as a response to court-ordered desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
. In later years the property was operated as a rest home for the elderly. The house is presently being restored.