The original house served as a store, tavern, and home for the Houston family, the primary dwelling on their sprawling plantation.

In 1812, Houston expanded the house with substantial Colonial Revival additions, adding a two-story center hall with a full arched ceiling, reminiscent of the nearby Natural Bridge.

Surviving the ravages of the American Civil War, the house stood virtually unchanged over the following century.

[3] The largest, Vine Cottage, served as a temporary home as the Manor House was being renovated.

This article about a property in Rockbridge County, Virginia on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.