Thorn Hill

{{short description|Historic house in Virginia, United States}}

{{About|the house in Virginia|the community in Tennessee|Thorn Hill, Tennessee}}

{{Other uses|Thornhill (disambiguation)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Thorn Hill

| nrhp_type =

| designated_other1 = Virginia Landmarks Register

| designated_other1_date = February 18, 1975{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|accessdate=5 June 2013}}

| designated_other1_number = 081-0084

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| image = Thorn Hill, Southwest of Lexington, off VA Route 251, Lexington vicinity (Rockbridge County, Virginia).jpg

| caption = Thorn Hill, HABS Photo

| location = SW of Lexington off VA 251, near Lexington, Virginia

| coordinates = {{coord|37|45|50|N|79|28|11|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Virginia#USA

| built = {{Start date|1792}}

| architecture = I House

| added = June 18, 1975

| area = {{convert|500|acre}}

| refnum = 75002035{{NRISref|version=2010a}}

}}

Thorn Hill is a historic home located near Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia. It was built in 1792, and is a two-story, five-bay, brick I-house dwelling. It has a side-gable roof, interior end chimneys with corbelled caps, and a two-story, one-bay wing. The front facade features a colossal tetrastyle portico with Doric order columns. The property includes the contributing log smokehouse, frame kitchen, frame servants house and loom house, and barns and farm outbuildings. Thorn Hill was the home of Col. John Bowyer, a central figure in Rockbridge County's formative years.{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockbridge/081-0084_Thorn_Hill_1975_Final_Nomination.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Thorn Hill|author=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff |date= December 1974|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Rockbridge/Thorn_Hill_photo.htm Accompanying photo]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

The property has historically been closely associated with nearby Washington and Lee University (W&L). In 1782, Bowyer was appointed one of the first trustees of Liberty Hall Academy, which eventually became W&L.{{cite web|url=https://www.wlu.edu/sociology-and-anthropology-department/about-the-department/anthropology-lab-and-archaeological-collections/liberty-hall/liberty-hall-history/liberty-hall-academy|title=Liberty Hall Academy|author=Washington and Lee University|date= December 1974|publisher=Washington and Lee University}} John Robinson, a principal benefactor of Washington College, and Judge John Brockenbrough, founder of the W&L Law School, lived at Thorn Hill. More recently, Thorn Hill was a dairy farm, and the house itself largely fell into disrepair.

In 2004, Bill Johnston and Paul Elliott bought Thorn Hill, spending more than $1 million restoring the property and adding various amenities, including a large pottery studio where the original kitchen (which was built away from the main house to prevent the main house from burning down in the event of a fire) once stood. They also added a scenic driveway and lush gardens. In 2008, the pair attempted to sell the property. Unfortunately the house went on the market the week before the collapse of Bear Stearns. Over the next several years, they kept cutting the price without attracting a buyer. In 2013, the owners decided to auction the house.{{cite web|url=https://www.landflip.com/land/67050|title=HISTORIC THORN HILL|author=LandFlip.com|publisher=LandFlip.com}}

Current Washington and Lee Trustee Bennett L. Ross and his wife Alyson Moore Ross were the high bidders during the auction,{{cite web|url=http://archives.etypeservices.com/lexington1/Magazine42205/Publication/Magazine42205.pdf|title=W&L Alumnus New Owner of Thorn Hill|author=Kit Huffman|publisher=Rockbridge News-Gazette}} stating that they "...were interested in buying Thorn Hill because of its ties to Washington and Lee."

In 2021, the owners formally opened a bed and breakfast called the "Thorn Hill Inn", featuring refurbished original outbuildings with modern amenities as well as a fitness and yoga center.{{cite web|url=https://thornhillinn.com|title=Thorn Hill Inn|publisher=ThornHillInn.com}}