Discover The History behind Church Hill

 In 1837, the Reverend Horatio Thompson acquired the Timber Ridge, Virginia farm where Church Hill now stands. Eleven years later, the home known as Church Hill was built and became the residence of Horatio Davenport Thompson and his family, who served the nearby Timber Ridge Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Long before the Thompson family, the land was owned by the pioneering Houston family, who received title in 1742 as part of the Borden Land Grant. In a log dwelling that once stood on the property—later moved to make way for the present home—Sam Houston, the legendary Texas statesman, was born in 1793. It is believed that some of the original logs from that birthplace were incorporated into the historic bank barn that still stands on the property today.

Church Hill’s story continued into modern times when the home was selected as a filming location for several scenes in the 2001 Warner Bros. epic Gods and Generals.

Today, Church Hill remains in the care of the sixth generation of the Thompson family to call it home. The property is proudly listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Historic Landmark Registry, offering guests a rare opportunity to stay in a home where American history has quietly unfolded for nearly three centuries.