Today, on the remaining five acres, besides the cottage, is a restored manor house, named
Prospect Hill, circa 1830, and a carriage house, also dating from the 19th century. According to
Eric Litchford, Director of Architecture for Preservation Virginia, "Architectural historians have
long noted the rarity and architectural significance of Pine Slash. The decorative vertical plank
walls are the only surviving example in Virginia and possibly the entire colonial South… the
building offers a valuable reflection of the everyday architecture of the mid-18th century."
Litchford adds, "much of the original building material is intact and very little has been modified
or changed since the 18th century … very high integrity."
The Historic Polegreen Church Foundation (HPCF) also owns the Patrick Henry birthplace, Studley, located four miles east
of Pine Slash. "The acquisition of Pine Slash is a unique opportunity to further extend our
mission of historic preservation and interpretation," says David Fuller, Foundation
president. "We are quite excited and yet deliberate in plans for interpretation of the early
Patrick Henry story."
The Foundation is the owner of Polegreen Church, where the free exercise of religious freedom
was challenging the established church in the colony. There thought leaders spoke openly of
"equal, natural, and unalienable rights". Young Patrick Henry heard and learned these lessons
from Rev. Samuel Davies and said that oratory should reach the heart, not just persuade based
on reason.
Pine Slash, Prospect Hill, and Polegreen Church are listed in the Virginia Landmark Register and
the National Register of Historic Places.
This article originally appeared on the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation's Facebook page, 7.16.24
