Sowell House, State Route 20, Scottsville, Albemarle County, Virginia

Significance: The Sowell House is an example of a vernacular structure which evolved in three stages. Beginning as a one bay, single pile, story-and-a-half structure, the dwelling was modified to a three bay, hall and parlor form, finally, to a double pile saltbox. In September of 1822, Pleasant Sowell purchased 100 acres on the west side of Carter's Mountain from Elisha and Elizabeth Sowell. On this tract Pleasant Sowell erected a two story, single pile structure. This structure was later altered, c. 1840, to its present saltbox form. The dwelling has remained in the Sowell family since its construction. Lynwood Truman Gibson, the present owner, uses the structure for storage.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-286
Survey number: HABS VA-1016
Building/structure dates: ca. 1830 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: ca. 1840 Subsequent Work