Salubria in Stevensburg, Virginia

Latin for “healthful” or “good health,” Salubria, unlike James Madison’s nearby home, Montpelier, is a lesser-known gem of the Piedmont region. Salubria, c 1757, is currently preserved though not restored- the house has not been repainted or re-furnished in period attire inside.

Much of the wood is original! The Germanna Historical Society owns the home as of 2000, and was recently awarded a substantial grant to continue reviving Salubria and sharing the home with the public. Like many manor homes from this era of history, Salubria has a storied and complicated past. Enslaved people lived and worked here for the first century of the home’s existence.

The halls saw famous early American figures pass through and witnessed Civil War skirmishes. Woodrow Wilson’s personal physician, Cary Grayson, was born at Salubria in 1878.

The house is almost the exact same floor plan as the George Wythe house in Williamsburg, Virginia, and if you look up the interior of the Wythe house you’ll get a good sense of what Salubria would have looked like nearly 300 years ago.