Guess the age of the house shown here sporting Gepetto’s historic replica architectural millwork.

Is it

• 225 years old
• 150 years old
• 2 years old

Did you pick “2 Years old”? You’re not the only one mistaken. Many people mistake this house for a famous home of Williamsburg built between 1752 & 1754!  The Wythe House once belonged to George Wythe’s father-in-law, Richard Taliaferro. The house was constructed between 1752 and 1754 and was conceived as a whole with no additions made to the rectangular two story structure. Perhaps the most handsome colonial house in Williamsburg, the two-story brick residence is believed to have been designed in the mid-1750s by George Wythe’s father-in-law, the surveyor, builder, and planter Richard Taliaferro (pronounced “Tolliver”). Taliaferro built the addition to the Governor’s Palace about the same time. The house remained as the sole household of Taliaferro when his daughter Elizabeth married George Wythe in 1755. The couple received the house as a wedding present from Taliafero and they received a life tenancy upon his death in 1779. Elizabeth lived here until her death in 1787, and George moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1791 to serve as a judge.

The house served as headquarters for General George Washington – September 14 to 17, and 22 to 28, 1781 – prior to the Siege of Yorktown.^[6]

The trend of constructing new homes from architectural classics is supported in these twelve home designs for those discerning individuals who seek a home of magnificent proportions. Some designs are replicas of existing historic homes, with the exteriors faithfully captured. Others are eclectic renditions of pleasing architectural components taken from different homes of the same style and era. All have luxurious floor plans that will accommodate the complex needs of the modern family.  Authentic Historical Designs, LLC  design partners Cecilia Reese Bullock and Mike Stephens hold the classic lines and proportions of the older architectural style in highest esteem.

Gepetto Millworks specializes in supplying home builders and home owners renovating with love their old homes and want to replicate the solid wood, hand crafted materials that have already lasted 100+ years with replacement parts that will last as long, since they were crafted with equal pride as skill as in historic days.

Historic Replica Architectural Millwork

Most new homes borrow older styles to some extent. Even if you hire an architect to design a custom home just for you; they must use some feature or some tradition of the past. Colonial and Georgian designs have maintained a steady popularity over the last two centuries in the Virginia and Washington DC areas. During the housing expansion of the 1990s to late 2000s, builders experienced an increased interest in homes with a Victorian or a Country cottage flavor while built with modern techniques.