Bacon’s Castle

A modern photograph depicts Bacon's Castle, a three-story Jacobean-style edifice thought to be the oldest brick house still standing in the former British colonies of North America. Located in Surry County, Bacon's Castle was built in the 1660s by a prosperous planter named Arthur Allen. One of his sons, also named Arthur Allen, inherited the house, which was then known as Allen's Brick House. During Bacon's Rebellion (1676–1677), the younger Allen supported the colonial governor. Seventy rebels took over Allen's residence and occupied it between September 18 and December 28, 1676. Thus, the house eventually became known as Bacon's Castle.