540 Harrison St, Scottsville, VA 24590

The design and construction of the Jefferies-Bruce House is attributed to Thomas Rolander Blackburn (1795-1867), a skilled carpenter whose absorption of the art of architecture as Thomas Jefferson’s protégé was transformative and unique.James Jefferies was Chief Surgeon at the Scottsville Hospital during the Civil War and purchased the house in 1863. In 1869 he sold to his brother Virginius who ran the Scottsville Drug Store. It remained in the Jefferies family until 1919 when it was sold to T.E. Bruce who had recently moved to Scottsville to operate the drugstore. The house remained in the Bruce family until sold to the current owner in 1993. In this home, Blackburn skillfully orchestrated proportion and harmony securing all in a work of exceptional craftsmanship. Brick is laid in Flemish-bond on the facade with five-course American-bond on the sides. Capped with a slate roof, there are two floors above a high, English Basement. The one-story paired-column Tuscan Portico introduces a five-bay double-pile central passage plan accented by four matching chimneys. The house has been meticulously restored over the last 25 years by the present owner to be a rare gem for the discerning buyer.