The 20 Oldest Homes in the United States

10. Bacon’s Castle in Surry County, VA

Built in 1665, this Greek Revival-style home is also referred to as the “Arthur Allen House” and is the oldest brick home in the U.S, as well as the U.S.’s only surviving High Jacobean structure. It was the home of the family of Arthur Allen, who died just four years after the home was built, leaving it to his son. The son, Arthur Allen II, was driven out of the home by Nathaniel Bacon’s patriot rebel followers, giving it its name. Historians aren’t sure why Allen chose to build such an extravagant home, which featured curved Flemish gables, glass windows with designs etched into them, and a triple chimney stack, in the woods of Virginia. The home originally had four rooms on two main floors, as well as a basement level kitchen, an attic, and three garrets (small living space at the top of a home) that are believed to have been used for additional living and storage space. It was purchased by Preservation Virginia in 1993 and is open to the public. Beware; it is said to be haunted. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

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