Aerial view of Carter's Grove Photo courtesy of Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Carter's Grove, built from 1750 to 1755, is one of colonial America's most impressive examples of Georgian architecture, noted for its exquisite brickwork and finely crafted, fully-paneled interior. The house was built for Carter Burwell, grandson of Robert "King" Carter, the wealthiest and most politically influential man in mid-18th-century Virginia, perhaps in all the colonies. Craftsmen responsible for the construction of the house include David Minitree, a bricklayer; James Wheatley, a house carpenter; and Richard Baylis, an English joiner. The interiors are especially rich, and the segmental arch framing the walnut stair is one of many handsome features. Carter's Grove remained in the family until 1834.

Current and historic views of Carter's Grove Photos courtesy of Virginia Department of Historic Resources

The house was essentially unaltered during the ownership of the next nine owners, until 1928, when the property was purchased by the McCreas who hired architect W. Duncan Lee to modernize and enlarge the house. The roof was heightened to accommodate a third floor, dormers were added and the dependencies were enlarged and connected to the main house with hyphens. In the 1960s, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation acquired the property and opened the house as a museum, along with reconstructed slave quarters to present both sides of plantation life. The extensive garden was reconstructed in the 1970s after detailed archeological investigations. Those excavations also uncovered the site of Wolstenholme Town, an early 17th-century settlement founded by investors of the London Company of Virginia.

Carter's Grove, a National Historic Landmark, is located on the south side of Virginia Rte. 60, six miles east of Williamsburg. In 2003, Carter's Grove was closed for an assessment of the property, grounds and programs, and will reopen in the future. Carter's Grove has also been documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey.