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| Blackacre comprises the western two-thirds of Moses Tyler's 1792 property. |
In 1985, approximately 600 acres that surround Blackacre were dedicated by the U.S. National Park Service as the Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District. Below is a statement of significance that was included in the nomination form.
The District is significant in terms of settlement patterns and practices, architecture, and transportation, and it reflects the Tyler family’s settlement and development of this part of Jefferson County from the late 18th century through the first part of the 20th century. Edward Tyler came to Jefferson County (which was then still part of Virginia) from Virginia in 1779 or 1780 with his sons Edward, Jr.; Moses; William; and Robert Tyler, thought to be a nephew. The Tylers were early settlers of eastern Jefferson County who owned extensive land holdings and were prominent in the agriculture, politics, and social affairs of the county. Familiar patterns of migration and settlement are apparent in the district, with members of a family leaving or granting portions of land to their children for their own farmsteads.
Significant patterns of 18th- and 19th-century architecture, rural life, and farming practices in Jefferson County are evident in the three clusters, which contain a characteristic arrangement of dwellings and unattached outbuildings. The Moses Tyler-Presley Tyler Farm, for example, is one of the best-preserved farm complexes in Jefferson County. The quality of stone work in the district, the transitional vernacular and stylistic associations of the two 19th-century brick houses, and the surviving examples of log construction also add to the significance to the district.
EE Home | Blackacre Home | History of Blackacre | Preface | Time Line | Who Gave This Land | Settling Blackacre | The Farm | The Buildings | Tyler Settlement | Reflective Questions | Acknowledgements