In the 1750s, the Ambler family built the Ambler Mansion, which was actually a Homestead, within old town Jamestowne, Virginia. Many of the Ambler family members were politicians and other prominent members of the community during colonial times.
During the U.S. Civil War, Allen moved into the Ambler Mansion to oversee the defense of Jamestowne Island. According to the National Park Service, “In 1861 Confederates initially regarded [Jametowne Island] as the best defensive point along the James River for defending Richmond, the South’s capital and industrial center.”
During the Revolutionary War, the U.S. Civil War and in 1895 the Amber Mansion caught on fire. After the third fire that the building endured, David Bullock, the owner at the time, decided to not rebuilt the home.
Presently, the remains of the Amber Mansion are managed by the U.S. National Park Service.
