It sits on a wooded lot near Centralia. Perched over Hedgelawn subdivision, the manor house Hedge Lawn, the namesake of the surrounding modern homes, Francis Lutz, the author of Chesterfield County Early Architecture and Historic Sites writes that Hedgelawn, grew to twice its size when a kitchen was added.
Lutz dates the house to 1837 by the location of the chimney, “There are several characteristics of the central chimney unity,” he writes. “This includes its steeply pitched roof, its relation to the main dwelling and its interior trim. That suggests it may date to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century; if so it would be one of the few dwellings recorded in Virginia. Unfortunately, the status of this section cannot be currently proven.”
According to research done for a show of his collection of postcards, Mike Uzel wrote in his description of Hedgelawn: “It served as a military hospital during the Civil War. It was heavily remodeled in 1906, acquired by the Richmond YMCA in 1922 and used by the YMCA as a camp until 1936. It is currently a private residence.”
Stop by the Chester Library and see Mike and the Old Dominion Post Card Club showing.
