Whitethorn (Blacksburg, Virginia)

Whitethorne is a historic plantation house in Blacksburg, Virginia, built around 1855 by James Francis Preston, the son of a former governor. This elegant Italian Villa-style residence features Greek Revival elements and a grand porch supported by Tuscan columns. Preston, a West Point graduate and Confederate colonel, commanded troops during the Civil War but died in 1862. The estate remained in the Preston family until 1889 and has since been partially developed into a community. Today, the house and surrounding 50 acres are still owned by descendants of the Heth family, and Whitethorne is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.