The Riverview House, Port Royal, Virginia

About Riverview

 For many years called the Armstrong House, Riverview, erected here in 1846, is one of Port Royal’s most spacious homes. This two story house with 9 room fronts on a series of long, steep, terraces leading down to the edge of the Rappahannock River, where formerly a grain warehouse stood for loading grain onto riverboats.

One hundred yards out into the river are the remains of a wharf, built in the 19th century where the Lightfoot family moored its boat, the “P.D.Q”. Nearly all riverfront residents maintained wharves such as this a century ago. The pilings of five such wharves can be seen at low tide. Riverview was built as the residence of John Bernard Lightfoot, 1814 – 1888 and his wife Harriett, 1822 – 1871. Members of the Lightfoot family lived here until 1909.

 –compiled from “Hidden Village: Port Royal, Virginia 1744 – 1981” by Ralph Emmett Fall

1969

1969