Sabine Hall, A Classical Villa in Virginia

Sabine Hall, an early mansion associated with the important Carter family, has long been recognized by historians as one of the major Virginia houses of the Georgian period. Later modifications of the house, however, have obscured its original character, and this in turn has curtailed discussion of the building in relation to Colonial architecture. This study attempts to establish the several building campaigns at Sabine Hall, to analyze them in the context of colonial and later American architecture, particularly that of Virginia, and thereby to recover-at least on paper-the appearance of the house in the early 18th century. The investigation, based on primary sources, includes a consideration of colonial Virginia, the owners of the house, and its craftsmen, plan, façade, materials, rooms, outbuildings, various alterations, and garden.