Lynnhaven House

The Lynnhaven House is a fine example of early Virginia vernacular architecture. It reflects the social and economic status of Francis Thelaball, a middling plantation owner who built it for his family. Architectural and design details including brick jack arches, a closed-spindle staircase with teardrop pendant, and ship's lap floor construction reveal a builder concerned with quality as well as artistry. Today the Lynnhaven House is furnished as a historic house museum to interpret the period Francis Thelaball and his family lived there, from 1725 to 1727. Guided tours discuss the roles of the household members--Francis, his wife Abigail, their five sons, an apprentice, and several enslaved people--as well as the Tidewater world of the early 18th century.