Historic District Proposed

The name Bruington (or Brewington) appeared early in King and Queen County history and survives in the name of a church, a dwelling, a village, and a road in the central area of the county. When Bruington Baptist Church began in 1790, a community grew up around it. By 1827 the houses titled Brewington, The Vineyard, and Norwood had been built and were soon followed by Marlboro, Cloverly, Locust Hill, Greenview, Erin, The Grange, and The Institute. Country stores, such as the McGeorge store, appeared. By the fourth quarter of the 19th century Bethlehem Baptist Church, an offshoot of Bruington Baptist Church, was part of the religious and social structure of the community. Although more modern structures can be seen, as a whole, the area is unspoiled and has remained relatively unchanged.

Dr. A. W. Lewis, outgoing president of the King and Queen County Historical Society, has for several years led the project to have the area encompassing the properties above designated as a Rural Historic District. This required coordination with the county and Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR). A cost-sharing grant from DHR and provate support provided funding. Dr. Libby Cook and Dr. David Brown, historical archaeologists and preservationists with the Fairfield Foundation, were engaged to prepare the preliminary information file (PIF) for submission to DHR. At the July 23rd Historical Society meeting Cook and Brown described the project. They used a map to convey the location and size of the district, providing highlights of the 50 architectural features in the proposed district and the importance of the history of the Bruington community. Members of the Courthouse Tavern Museum Council served as advisors and local facilitators. The property owners, some whose families had been in the county for one hundred and fifty years or more, were very willing to share stories and information.

The PIF was approved by DHR, which has recommended proceeding with the formal application to the National Register of Historic Places. Noting that an historic designation is nothing more than an honorific, Brown said, if granted, there may be significant advantages for owners of older houses for tax credits and offsets for expenses related to maintenance. If approved, the Bruington Rural Historic District would be the third historic district in King and Queen County, joining the Newtown Historic District and the King and Queen Courthouse Green Historic District. Note: All the major properties within the proposed district are described in the book Old Houses of King and Queen County Virginia sold by the Museum.