More Information available at the Point of Honor Website
Point of Honor. 1937 WPA Report photo (left) and 2004 photo courtesy of Archer Minardi.
Home Site – Lynchburg, Virginia
Point of Honor is located at the corner of Cabell and A Streets on Daniel’s Hill, above the James River. There was a graveyard at Point of Honor where Dr. George Cabell’s wife, Sarah Winston Cabell (1770-1826) was buried. The location of the graveyard is unknown.
Architecture
It is a Federal style house with an unusual double octagon bay facade with “a cross front hall and a square room to the rear between the octagonal wings.” Between the wings, there is a two-story porch. Point of Honor has beautifully carved woodwork. Festoons tied with bowknots are featured over the doorways and under the handrails. The drawing room mantel “is adorned with a tall standard filled with fruit, and has large pineapples over each of the fluted side columns.” The doorways leading to the hall “have pineapples and wreaths festooned, corresponding with the mantel, carved on their deep frames.” Beautifully carved center urns are featured on the mantels in the dining room and two bedrooms. In another bedroom the “standards are filled with fruit over the side columns”. Also featured is a solid mahogany stair-rail.
Timeline of Point of Honor Ownership
- Point of Honor was built by Dr. George Cabell (1766 – 1823), son of John Cabell. George bought the land in 1805 and by 1806 was living in the house which was originally called the “Mansion House”.
- The house was inherited in 1823 by George’s son, William Lewis Cabell. He renovated the house in 1828. He died in 1830 of tuberculosis and his wife, Eliza Daniels, died shortly thereafter. They had no children and the house was left to his wife’s father, Judge William Daniel.
- Judge Daniel (1785-1839) lived at Point of Honor with his second wife Paulina Cabell whom he married in 1826. Paulina was the daughter of John Cabell and her first husband was Hector Cabell of Montezuma.