Pear Valley is a one-room Yeoman's

Yeoman

Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...

 Cottage

Cottage

__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...

 and prime example of Vernacular architecture

Vernacular architecture

Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...

. The modest embellishments and its high level of preservation make it one of the most architecturally interesting examples of small, historic homes in Virginia.

Architecture

The house is very typical of early Chesapeake

Chesapeake

-Places:*Chesapeake, Indiana, defunct*Chesapeake High School, Anne Arundel County, Maryland*Chesapeake High School, Baltimore, Maryland*Chesapeake, Missouri*Chesapeake, Ohio*Chesapeake, Virginia*Chesapeake, West Virginia...

 architecture. The single-story dwelling is remarkably detailed and impeccably constructed. The owners were presumably slightly more well-off than their near neighbors, but still not wealthy enough to afford a larger, brick building. Distinctive features of the building include a pyramidal chimney

Chimney

A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...

 and glazed brickwork

Brick

A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...

. Although there used to be controversy surrounding the construction date, Dendrochronology

Dendrochronology

Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...

 and extensive study place the date between 1720 and 1750.

Preservation

Preservation Virginia purchased the property in 1986. They began extensive restoration work, including repairing the foundation, in 1994. The entire roof of the structure was replaced with cedar shingles, as called for by the Historic Structures Report, in 2004. The property is currently open to the public by appointment.