Warner Hall

Warner Hall is a historic plantation property in Gloucester County, Virginia, established in 1642 by Augustine Warner after he received a royal land grant. The estate became associated with the Warner and Lewis families, two prominent colonial Virginia families whose members participated in the House of Burgesses, local government, shipping, military organization, and the political movements surrounding the American Revolution. Its historical significance also derives from its connection to the ancestry of George Washington: Augustine Warner's daughter Mildred became Washington's great-grandmother, while Warner's daughter Elizabeth married John Lewis, beginning the Lewis family's long association with the property. The plantation was originally part of the colonial landholding system that shaped Virginia's economy and society. Like other large plantations of the period, Warner Hall was dependent on bound labor, including enslaved people, although the supplied reference material does not provide a complete account of the people who lived and worked there. The estate's early political prominence increased under Augustine Warner Jr., who served as speaker of the House of Burgesses. During Bacon's Rebellion, rebels seized Warner Hall after attacking Jamestown and used the property as a headquarters. Warner later sought compensation for goods reported to have been taken, valuing the losses at £845. The claim led to litigation involving fellow burgess William Byrd I, whom Warner accused of supporting the rebellion while Byrd presented himself as another victim of the rebels. After Augustine Warner Jr. died without a male heir, ownership passed through his daughters and their descendants. Elizabeth Warner's marriage to John Lewis transferred the house and surrounding plantation into the Lewis family, whose members continued to serve in Virginia public life for generations. Members of the Lewis family held seats in the House of Burgesses until approximately 1820. During the eighteenth century, two men named Warner Lewis were associated with the estate. Warner Lewis, born in 1720, was a justice of the peace for Gloucester County from 1743, participated in his family's shipping interests, and expanded his landholdings. His son Warner Lewis Jr. pursued education in England and later sought a patent for a large tract of western land near the Kanawha and Ohio rivers. The Lewis family also became involved in the political crisis preceding the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, either the elder Warner Lewis or his son chaired Gloucester County's Committee of Safety. In September of that year, one of them became colonel of the county militia and county lieutenant. These activities placed Warner Hall within the local network of Virginia political and military leadership that supported the patriot cause. The original house was destroyed by fire in 1840. Two surviving and still-used outbuildings were later connected, around 1900, to form a Colonial Revival mansion. This later structure reflects the property's transition from an early colonial plantation complex into a preserved historic estate. The Warner and Lewis family cemetery remains on the property, and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities has maintained the cemetery since 1903. Warner Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In its current role, the property operates as a country inn and heritage destination rather than as a conventional consumer brand. Its identity is based on architectural preservation, colonial and early American history, family genealogy, and hospitality. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current corporate owner, a separate legal entity, a dedicated official website, or a detailed present-day operating structure.

Warner Hall was established in Gloucester County, Virginia, in 1642, when Augustine Warner received a royal land grant and created the plantation. Warner became an important figure in colonial Virginia and served in the House of Burgesses. His family later gained lasting prominence through both public service and kinship networks. Augustine Warner Jr. operated the estate and also served as speaker of the House of Burgesses. During Bacon's Rebellion, insurgents raided Warner Hall after the fall of Jamestown and used the property as a base. Warner pursued compensation for property taken during the occupation, reporting losses valued at £845. The dispute became part of litigation involving William Byrd I, another member of the House of Burgesses who disputed Warner's account of his role in the rebellion. Augustine Warner Jr. left no male heir. His daughter Mildred became the grandmother of George Washington, giving Warner Hall an important place in the genealogy of the first president of the United States. His daughter Elizabeth married John Lewis, who took control of the house and plantation. The Lewis family maintained the estate and continued its public role in Virginia for generations. Lewis descendants served in the House of Burgesses until about 1820, linking the property to colonial legislative history. The eighteenth-century Lewis owners included Warner Lewis, born in 1720. He served as a Gloucester County justice of the peace from 1743, worked in his father's shipping business, and acquired additional land in Abingdon Parish. His son, Warner Lewis Jr., was educated at Oxford and later pursued a large western land patent near the Kanawha River's junction with the Ohio River. The family became involved in the resistance to British rule. In 1775, either the elder Warner Lewis or his son chaired Gloucester County's Committee of Safety, and one of them later became county militia colonel and county lieutenant. The original Warner Hall house burned in 1840. Two surviving outbuildings remained in use and were joined around 1900 to create a Colonial Revival mansion. The rebuilt complex preserved the property's association with the colonial estate while giving it a form shaped by the early twentieth-century historic revival movement. The Warner and Lewis cemetery on the grounds has been maintained by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities since 1903. Warner Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is currently operated as a country inn, combining historic hospitality with the preservation of a significant Virginia estate. The available reference material does not identify current owners, named executives, a corporate parent, or a dedicated official website. The property's historical narrative also needs to be understood in the broader context of colonial plantation society and enslaved labor, although the supplied sources do not provide a detailed labor history.

• 1980

  National Register listing

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Warner Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1903

  Cemetery preservation begins

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities began maintaining the Warner and Lewis family cemetery.

• 1900

  Colonial Revival mansion formed

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The surviving outbuildings were joined to create the Colonial Revival mansion associated with the present property.

• 1840

  Original house destroyed by fire

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The principal Warner Hall house burned, leaving two surviving outbuildings that continued to be used.

• 1775

  Lewis family involvement in the revolutionary movement

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  A Warner Lewis chaired Gloucester County's Committee of Safety, and one of the two men of that name later became county militia colonel and county lieutenant.

• 1676

  Warner Hall occupied during Bacon's Rebellion

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Rebels associated with Bacon's Rebellion looted Warner Hall and used it as a headquarters after attacking Jamestown.

• 1642

  Plantation established

  [1]Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Augustine Warner established the property after receiving a royal land grant in Virginia.

Historic Virginia plantation and heritage hospitality property

• Historic property

  Warner Hall historic estate

  The principal heritage offering is the Warner Hall estate itself, including the Colonial Revival mansion formed from surviving historic outbuildings, the surrounding grounds, and the family cemetery. Its value is historical and architectural rather than manufactured or retail-oriented.

• Hospitality

  Country inn accommodation

  Warner Hall currently functions as a country inn, providing lodging within a historic property. The supplied reference material does not specify room types, rates, amenities, reservation channels, or the current operating company.

1. 1Warner Hallen.wikipedia.org