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Bacon's Castle, Surry

4.6
#1 of 6 in Things to do in Surry
Must see · Architectural Building · Historic Site
Bacon's Castle, also variously known as "Allen's Brick House" or the "Arthur Allen House" is located in Surry County, Virginia, United States, and is the oldest documented brick dwelling in what is now the United States. Built in 1665, it is noted as an extremely rare example of Jacobean architecture in the New World.

The house became known as "Bacon's Castle" because it was occupied as a fort or "castle" by the followers of Nathaniel Bacon during Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. However, contrary to popular folklore, Bacon never lived at Bacon's Castle, nor is he even known to have visited it.

Today Bacon's Castle is an historic house museum and historic site open for guest visitation. Bacon's Castle is an official Preservation Virginia historic site and operates under its 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit status.

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Bacon's Castle reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
402 reviews
Google
4.6
TripAdvisor
  • By deeremom430
    Not open for tours when we went. Geocaching brought us here, so we walked around the grounds and read the informative signs. Places like this are why we enjoy geocaching-it brings us to places we...  more »
  • By Rene H
    My husband and I are both retired history teachers, so this was of interest to us. But I am not sure how interesting it might be to others. But it is a beautiful home. Due to covid, we could not tour....  more »
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Google
  • By Catherine Morrison
    This place is amazing! How often do you get to visit such an old home like this? The architecture is beautiful. We had the most amazing tour guide who is a desendent of the original owner of the house! He was very interesting and made the tour very pleasant. If you haven't visited Bacon's Castle you definitely should. You won't regret it.
  • By Maggie Connors
    The drive is part of the adventure. The house is impressive and the employees are passionate about its history and preservation. Super fun experience!
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