River House Tour

Chippokes State Park welcomes visitors to accompany an interpretive guide on a very unique historical building tour experience to explore the oldest dwelling on the grounds.

The decision was made to permanently expose the structural parts and bones of this architectural historical craftsmanship representing a continuation of a Virginia Tidewater vernacular tradition, known as the River House, built in two separate phases, (1837 & 1847) by Albert Carroll Jones, the first owner of Chippokes that chose to reside on the property.

What do the remnants of this building tell us of a time much different than today? What do we know about this particular dwelling? Participants will discover how specific architectural details and designs of the River House reveal glimpses into the lives of those who worked and lived here at Chippokes over its lifetime as a working Farm and Plantation. 

Please note the tour requires careful navigation through several sets of old staircases. This is a historical building and we hope to continue to share it for many more years, children should be close-by and with their adult counterparts at all times, please be mindful and respectful, and stay with your interpretive tour guide.

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