Moncure Conway House - Falmouth VA, USA - Pre-Victorian Historic Homes on Waymarking.com

The Federal architectural style was popular in the United States from 1780 to 1830. Similar to the symmetrical Georgian style, the Federal style incorporated more decorative details such as a semicircular fanlight above the front door, arched Palladium windows, and classical detailing.¹ The Conway House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in architecture, was built using this popular style in 1807. It is a symmetrical 2-story brick house with the arched fanlight over the front entrance and classic detailing over the front windows. The house also has the 'flounder' feature or the 'half house' feature. It refers to the outline of an end wall and roof line which is on a single inclined plane. When viewed from the front, the house appears perfectly square, but when viewed from the side it has the appearance of a half roof.²

Today, the Conway House still stands on River Rd. (or King St.) overlooking the Rappahannock River in Falmouth, VA. It has survived damage during the Civil War, flooding, and abandonment to remain in very good condition with most of the architectural features intact. It is privately owned and only opened to the public for special events or occasions. See tourstaffordva.com for an upcoming list of events or visit the nearby Stafford Visitor Center at historic Belmont for more information. The house can still be viewed from a parking lot directly across the street at this location:
N 38° 19.267 W 077° 28.075.

The Moncure Conway House has also been waymarked in:

• U.S. National Register of Historic Places
• Underground Railroad Sites

¹Architecture: Federal
²The Moncure Conway House, Falmouth, Virginia

Earliest Recorded Date of Construction: 01/01/1807 Architectural Period/Style: Federal Architect (if known): The Adams brothers introduced and popularized the Federal architectural style. Type of Building e.g. Country House, Stately Home, Manor: Stately Home Interesting Historical Facts or Connections: Moncure Daniel Conway was the son of a slave owner whose family moved into the house on the Rappahannock River in 1832. He became a minister and preached against the moral wrong of owning slaves and advocated their emancipation which alienated him from his family. During the Civil War, Moncure helped lead the family slaves to freedom in Ohio. Listed Building Status (if applicable): National Register of Historic Places, Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site Main Material of Construction: Brick Private/Public Access: Private (Open to public on occasion) Related Website: [Web Link] Rating: Additional Dates of Construction: Not listed Landscape Designer (if known): Not listed Admission Fee (if applicable): Not Listed Opening Hours (if applicable): Not listed

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