Shuttlewood
Shuttlewood Summary
Shuttlewood, a large two-story Greek Revival frame I-house, was constructed between 1848 and 1858 for William Payne (Pain) Waring. The property has retained some of its historical acreage, rural setting and many historical features, including interior decorative painted woodwork. Notably, Shuttlewood was spared during the Civil War. Other nearby plantations such as the White House – a home associated with Martha Washington – were destroyed during the Union Army’s occupation of the area. A sensitive restoration of Shuttlewood was undertaken in the 1970s to repair the dwelling and incorporate modern amenities and mechanical systems. The Foundation is currently concluding further restoration work on the structure and is conducting an archeological survey of the site in order to reconstruct lost outbuildings, gardens and agricultural facilities.
Shuttlewood was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2022 and listing on the National Register of Historic Places is in progress.
Property Information:
New Kent County, Virginia
Built between 1848 and 1858
Formerly owned by William Waring
Acquired in December 2020
Situated on 840 acres
Restoration Status:
July 2022 completion date
Architecture
Shuttlewood was constructed to replace an earlier, smaller dwelling on the property. The single-pile house measures 48 feet, 4 inches in length and 20 feet, 2 inches in depth, which accommodates two sizeable rooms on the two main floors and an 11 ½-foot wide central stair passage. The wood frame dwelling retains much of its original weatherboard and windows, as well as interior materials such as floors, doors and painted woodwork. Although there are no extant outbuildings associated with Shuttlewood, to the west and southwest of the house are the brick remnants of domestic service buildings that are believed to have been a kitchen and smokehouse.
Situated on St. Peter’s Lane a few miles east of historic St.
Peter’s church, Shuttlewood sits in the center of a large plantation. The plantation extends along a gentle ridgeline and downhill across St. Peter’s Swamp. It adjoins Cedar Lane on the south, thus forming a single large landholding that also includes Moss Side.
History
Civil War graffiti appears just above the first flight of the staircase on the breastwork of the stairwell on the second floor. Still discernible on the original gray paint is the scribbled signature of a Union soldier who marked his presence here during the Peninsula campaign in the early summer of 1862. The inscription reads “Henry S. Drake” and below it “pa 11 cavalry.” Records indicate that Henry S. Drake was a private in Company K of the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment that had been organized at the beginning of the war in Philadelphia. Drake enlisted on August 31, 1861, and was mustered out after three years of service on September 1, 1864. Most of his time in the Union Army was spent in eastern Virginia and North Carolina, where he participated in several major battles. Drake’s most important engagement was the Peninsula campaign to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. Attached to the Army of the Potomac, the 11th Pennsylvania cavalry was involved in operations in and around New Kent County Courthouse on June 23 and converged on White House plantation on June 26 where it would remain encamped until July 2. It appears that Drake and other members of his unit took the road to White House Landing that ran by Shuttlewood northward across St. Peter’s Swamp.
