SOUTHERN LIVING Best Southern Homes by The Editors of Southern Living

Author:The Editors of Southern Living
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liberty Street
Published: 2016-08-01T04:00:00+00:00

LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING: BUFFY HARGETT MILLER

Richard Gibbs (left) and Randy Harelson

RICHMOND ROW HOUSE

RICHMOND, VA

NAME OF HOUSE: The Alexander Walker House

YEAR BUILT: 1855; expanded in 1859

ARCHITECT: Unknown; at the time, Southern houses were often designed by their owners.

STYLE: Greek Revival, with Regency-inspired iron balconies and Italianate cornices

CURRENT OWNER: William “Bill” Crosby, senior architect, Virginia’s Historic Preservation Office

Slave auctioneer Robert Alvis constructed half the house in 1855, but financial losses forced him to sell to tobacco merchant Alexander Walker, who expanded it into a center-hall residence on the cusp of the Civil War in 1859. During the war, Union troops stayed in the house after Richmond fell. From 1905 until 1934, it served as an orphanage before becoming the Young Men’s Club of Virginia. It wasn’t until the 1970s that it was purchased and renovated back into a private home, which Bill Crosby acquired in 1988.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

Local lore has it that Abraham Lincoln visited the front porch on April 4, 1865, the day after Union forces captured Richmond, a pivotal turning point in the war. At that time, the city was the capital of the Confederacy. In 1905, another President, Theodore Roosevelt, a champion of orphanages, also made an appearance at the house. In recent times, actor James Spader toured the home when he was considering leasing it for his family during the filming of the movie Lincoln.

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