Robert Preston Home

The Robert Preston House at Walnut Grove, located on Lee Highway near Exit 7 has great importance to Washington County. This home and its log dependency were constructed around 1780 by Robert Preston, a member of the leading political family in southwest Virginia during the era of the American Revolution. Robert Preston was given his commission as surveyor of Washington County in 1779 by Thomas Jefferson who was the governor of Virginia at that time.

The house has "retained remarkable architectural integrity from the period of its original construction," says John Kern, director of the Roanoke Regional Preservation Office of the Department of Historic Resources. Robert was one of the founding fathers of Washington County, and his home is comparable to Smithfield Plantation at Virginia Tech. On July18, 2002, this Walnut Grove home was found eligible for listing in the Virginia Landmarks Register of Historic Places. This listing will be important to receive grants and funds for rehabilitation. The property can become a major tourist destination for our area.
It is absolutely essential to preserve Walnut Grove as a property that can provide wonderful opportunities for interpretation of history of pioneer settlement in southwest Virginia, and the development at Exit 7 threatens this project requiring that this house be moved or destroyed. The house has been given to the Bristol Historical Association by developer Mack Trammell.

The initial work to insure the moving and preservation of this important landmark has been done by the Bristol Historical Association and the support and involvement of the Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, is greatly appreciated. For further Information, please contact Jan Rainero at (423)968-4140.