Prestwould Plantation, U.S. Route 15 vicinity, Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia

Significance: Sir Peyton Skipwith VII Baronet moved his family from his "Elm Hill" plantation to the newly completed mansion at "Prestwould" Plantation in 1797. The mansion is situated on land that Sir Peyton inherited from his eldest brother in 1750 and is presently on man-made Buggs Island Lake. Originally the site commanded a view of the Staunton and Dan River junction of the Roanoke River Valley. Prior to the 1797 move Sir Peyton managed affairs at "Prestwould" from the small structure adjacent to the mansion called the office. His wish to build a house is readily seen in a postscript from a letter to Lady Jean dated 6 October 1791, from "Prestwould": "A house I will have here, I cannot longer bear these separations." His dream began to be fulfilled in 1794 when he contracted Jacob Shealor to do the stone work for the exterior walls. Finish carpentry work was completed by John Inge, a local carpenter, whose bill for final payment was presented in 1797. Orders for crown glass, hardware, decorations and wall coverings from England are carefully preserved today in the Sveh Library at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg; the archives of the Virginia Historical Society, Richmond; and the archives of Colonial Williamsburg. Sir Peyton's enjoyment of "Prestwould" was shortlived as he passed away in 1805. He left the management of the plantation in the capable hand of his wife Lady Jean who never remarried. She maintained a careful garden book giving excellent account of plantation crops, gardens and plants of the early nineteenth century. Lady Jean died in 1828 leaving the plantation to her son Humberston who redecorated the house in 1830, installing such as the extant French wallpaper scenes. The house remained in the family until 1913 when Austin Skipwith sold the run-down house to A.J. Goodard. Mr. Goodard worked at great length to restor the house before he sold it to John W. Price of Louisville, Kentucky. In 1947 the original furnishings were dispersed at auction. The land and house were passed from hand to hand until William B. Hill worked through the Roanoke River Museum - Prestwould Foundation to purchase and proved for the preservation of the plantation.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-323
Survey number: HABS VA-320
Building/structure dates: ca. 1765 Initial Construction