File:Bacon's Castle.jpg

English: The original part of this house, to the left and dating to 1665, is the oldest brick structure on continental North America. It's original owner and builder was a plantation owner named Allen. It got its name from Nathaniel Bacon who led a rebellion against the colonial authorities in Virginia in 1676 during which the home was occupied and fortified (thus, the "Castle") for a time by some of Bacon's followers even though Bacon himself never went there. The original house (again, to the left) is architecturally noteworthy as a pure transplant of the 17th century Jacobean style with the kitchen in the basement level of the house. I took this shot at a slightly oblique angle to show the multiple curves of the Flemish gables and the diamond offset of the triple chimneys at either end of the original structure. Note the adaptations made to the much warmer, humid Virginia climate in the Georgian addition to the right constructed during the 1850s. The heat trapping gable has been largely dispensed with; the ceilings are higher to allow the worst of the heat collect above the heads of the inhabitants; and, now the heat generating kitchen is no longer directly beneath the main living and entertaining areas of the house. For more information and details go to http://preservationvirginia.org/index.php/visit/historic-properties/bacons-castle. The house is oriented on an east/west axis based on true north and the photo is of the south face.