Building Description Bacons Castle, Surry County, Virginia
The chimneys, exterior and interior basement walls, exterior walls and one interior wall above basement, are built of brick laid in lime mortar.
Roofs are covered with tin.
With the exception of the room in the southwest corner, which has an earth floor, the remaining portions of the basement are floored with irregular sections of 8" x 8" x 2" brick and ordinary brick. The stairs from first floor to basement are gone. The remaining stairs from first floor to attic have a closed string with newels, rail and balusters of poplar.
The flooring of first, second and attic floors is pine on. wood joists, which in turn are supported on heavy wood beams.
In the west room, first floor, the west or fireplace wall is panelled from floor to ceiling, and the other three walls have a panelled wainscot. The walls above wainscot and the ceiling between exposed beams are plastered, with a small wood cornice around the room.
In the east room, first floor, all four walls are panelled from floor to ceiling with a small wood cornice around room and a plastered ceiling between the exposed beams. This panelling is evidently of a later date than the house.
The second floor rooms have plastered walls and plastered ceiling between the exposed beams.
The walls and ceilings of halls and the walls of attic are plastered, the roof construction being exposed.
At some date not known a two story brick addition was built on the east end of the original house, with a two story porch on the south front. Probably at the same time wood cornices were added at the eaves and south gable of the original building, and portions of the south wall stuccoed. The brick belt course on the front of the south projection has been chipped off probably at the same time to present a smooth surface for the stucco, While the stucco covers up any evidence, it is believed that the entrance door was on the front of the south projection where there is now a window and that it was moved to its present position when the porch was built. The north window in the west wall of the first floor was inserted by the present owner when he removed a small frame addition, and it is believed there were originally no windows in this wall except in the attic. Similarly it is believed none existed in the east wall and that the doors were cut when the addition was made.
In the brickwork of the north wall there are evidences in the brick that windows have been moved and other minor alterations made.
One of the diagonal chimney shafts on the west end has been rebuilt with a brick of different color and texture from the rest of the brickwork.
None of the original window frames and sash exist but have been replaced with double sliding sash windows.
The original brickwork was laid in English bond and showing variations in bond and though it shows a lack of uniformity in surface due to minor alterations and repairs, the brickwork remains sound and in good condition.
