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Gloucester in Gloucester County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

The Edge Hill House

Home of the Gloucester Woman's Club

 
 
The Edge Hill House Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 26, 2021
1. The Edge Hill House Marker
Inscription.
The Edge Hill House showcases three centuries of Gloucester County, from frontier settlements of tobacco plantations to a bustling 21st-century village and county seat. This historic landmark and archaeological site was initially a private dwelling and then served as a variety of uses: dress making establishment, a blacksmithing operation, a general mercantile, and carriage shop. It was known as Long Bridge Ordinary from 1927 until 2003 when it was discovered that it had never been an ordinary. Today, it is the headquarters of the Gloucester Woman's Club, a community focused civic organization.

Situated on the slope of a broad hill that defines the east end of main street, Solomon Tomlinson built the house prior to 1770 as a four-room, one-and-a-half story, frame side-passage residence. Potentially the oldest standing building in the Gloucester Downtown Historic District, its prominent location on a major thoroughfare convinced investors to convert the house into a general store and commercial building during the first half of the 19th century, taking advantage of travelers visiting on court days and helping develop the courthouse village into a commercial and political hub of the county.

[Captions:]
The house became home to the Gloucester Woman's Club in 1913, who added the kitchen and garden walkways

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between 1942 and 1949. They started one of the county's first circulating libraries, supported World War I & II relief programs, and in 1941 sponsored the county's first Girl Scout Troop. The building is cared for and maintained with the help of the Edge Hill House Foundation.

Commercial success led to merchang John Field raising the building up, putting it on top of a "new" brick ground floor built into the edge of the hill around 1833, along with a two-story brick and frame addition on the east end. It served as a carriage-manufacturing shop and the residence of three successive coach-makers during the second half of the 19th century.

The Edge Hill House interior retains much of its 18th- and 19th-century woodwork.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public WorkColonial EraIndustry & CommerceWomen. A significant historical year for this entry is 1927.
 
Location. 37° 24.725′ N, 76° 31.174′ W. Marker is in Gloucester, Virginia, in Gloucester County. Marker is on Main Street (Business U.S. 17) just west of Ware House Road (Virginia Route 621), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6800 Main St, Gloucester VA 23061, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named The Edge Hill House (here, next to this marker); To Gwynn's Island

The Edge Hill House Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 26, 2021
2. The Edge Hill House Marker
The house is visible in the background.
(within shouting distance of this marker); Ware Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Gloucester Downtown Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); History of the Edge Hill Intersection (within shouting distance of this marker); Texaco Gas Pumps, c. 1930s (within shouting distance of this marker); People & Personalities of Edge Hill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Traveling Gloucester (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gloucester.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 27, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 267 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on June 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

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Mar. 28, 2024