Long before the first shovel of earth was turned, or the architect's pen took to paper, painstaking research was undertaken to fully comprehend the characteristics and traditions of The Virginia Highlands. Architectural standards have been established to ensure the character and quality of buildings and landscapes within Homestead Preserve. Houses should be designed following one of four traditional architectural vocabularies: Highlands Arts and Crafts, Highlands Farmhouse, Highlands Classical, and English Romantic.