Annaburg Manor Named To National Register Of Historic Places By National Park Service

MANASSAS, VA — The Annaburg Manor on Maple Street in Manassas has been added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service. It's the seventh Manassas landmark to join the register.

The 35-room manor and surrounding 3.65 acres were acquired by the City of Manassas in 2019. The area is now a park, and the city plans to add more amenities to the grounds in 2022.

The home was builty by Alexandria brewer Robert Portner in 1892 as a summer home, the city said in a news release. Originally, the estate encompassed 2,157 acres, stretching from Main Street to Bull Run.

"Annaburg Manor is believed to be the first home in the country equipped with mechanical air-conditioning," city officials said in a news release. "Portner’s designs in air-conditioning, artificial cooling and ice making machines would later contribute to the technology used in today’s air-conditioning systems."

In the 1960s, the facility was managed by Novant Health UVA Health System as a nursing home and rehabilitation center. Two wings were added to the manor, though they were later removed.

In the past year, the city's restoration efforts at Annaburg have focused on stabilizing the structure. Workers have replaced the home’s original slate roof, metal cornices and wood box gutters, and worked on paint removal that helped fix moisture problems, the city said.

City officials plan to remove more paint, replace windows, and add park amenities to the facility this year.

Annaburg Manor is the seventh Manassas landmark to join the National Register of Historic Places. It joins Liberia, the Manassas Industrial School for Colored Youth, Cannon Branch Fort, Mayfield Fort, the Manassas Water Tower, and the downtown national historic district.

More information about Annaburg Manor and the city's restoration efforts are available online.