The Trapezium House:
The Trapezium House, is a Flemish bond
brick, Federal style, slate roofed trapezoid
shaped structure. Built in 1816 by Irish
immigrant, Charles O’Hara, the home’s unique
shape was conceived from O’Hara’s West
Indian servant, who believed it was good
luck to have no right angles in a home.
Furnished in period antiques, the site
serves as an office and art studio for
“Buddy” a very accomplished painter. The
Trapezium House is located at 244 N. Market
Street and is owned by Judge Oliver
Pollard.
Market 406:
This Federal brick dwelling, built as a
mercantile grocery, is a superb
representation of the current trend of
restoring properties to their past uses as
both living and working space. The owners,
experts in architectural design and
repurposing, reside above their antique
shop, Market 406. Their second-floor
apartment has many original features,
including fireplaces, molding, and evidence
of prior renovations. The roof deck serves
as a gateway to their beautiful outdoor
surroundings. Market 406 is located at 406
N. Market Street, was built circa 1810, and
is owned by Joan Gardiner and Kevin Mullis.
The Charles Leonard House:
The Charles Leonard House, an Italianate,
frame mansion, capped with the original
belvedere, was built by A.A. Traylor.
Purchased by English-born hardware merchant
Charles Leonard in the 1890s, the property
boasts eight fireplaces and mantles,
original floors, and a dominate front
staircase. The beautifully landscaped
grounds feature the original kitchen house
which Leonard converted to servants’
quarters, a Revolutionary era stone wall,
and the remains of a prior 18th century
dwelling, partially located under the
current house. The Charles Leonard House is
located at 280 High Street, was built circa
1867, and is owned by Thomas B. III and
Brenda K. Redfern.
Dodson’s Tavern:
Dodson’s Tavern, a frame clapboard
Federal/modified late Georgian home was a
favorite of last year’s tour. Impeccably
landscaped and furnished in rare early
American and primitive antiques, the site
was frequented by many dignitaries including
Robert E. Lee, Marquis de Lafayette, and
Aaron Burr. Owned by the Dodson/Pegram
families for the first 180 years, design
features include a large hearth in the
original winter kitchen in the English
basement and the detached summer kitchen
converted to a guest house. Dodson’s Tavern
is located at 311 High Street, was built
circa 1789, and is owned by Bob and Bobbi
Kennedy.
545 High Street:
This stately, clapboard Federal house, is
steeped in Revolutionary War heritage, as
one of the owners Erasmus Gill, served as a
Captain in the Continental Army under George
Washington, and the other, George Hay, was
the special prosecutor for America’s first
treason trial against Aaron Burr. The house
features a huge staircase, and is furnished
in a homey comfortable manner. The owners
enjoy basking on one of two rear decks,
overlooking the massive backyard that’s
teeming with native birds of every variety.
545 High Street was built circa 1785 and is
owned by Scott and Yvonne Flaherty.
The Baird-Rambaut-LeMoine House:
The Baird-Rambaut-LeMoine House was
constructed of beaded heart pine by John
Baird, who lived next door, for his
daughter. The original one and a half story
colonial house, with corner fireplaces and
an King of Prussia black marble fireplace,
sports an 1810 Federal addition with a
decorative plaster ceiling and carved arches
in the living room. The house was
extensively renovated in 2000 and is filled
with family favorites. The Baird-Rambaut-LeMoine
House is located at 410 Grove Avenue, was
built circa 1783, and is owned by Douglas
and Marie Vargo.
Addition to The Baird-Rambaut-LeMoine House:
Nestled behind two of John Baird’s former
properties, this charming dwelling was
originally constructed as a kitchen house by
Baird. It was expanded into a home around
1908 and renovated in 2008. Cozy warmth
describes this charming cottage-like abode,
with a large wood-burning fireplace, exposed
beams, and stone walls. The addition to The
Baird-Rambaut-LeMoine House is located by
416 Grove Avenue, was built circa 1807, and
is owned by Cherry Turner.
514 Grove Avenue:
Renovated in 2008, this single-family home
was once two properties, 514 and 516 Grove
Avenue, with living quarters in 516 and a
mercantile store in 514. The two-story
Tidewater Vernacular design is constructed
of bead wood and shiplap siding with a cedar
shingle roof. The house retains an original
staircase and has an original Petersburg
mantle in the living room. The original
kitchen house for 516 was completely rebuilt
from the foundation up. The property is
breathtaking inside and out. 514 Grove
Avenue was built circa 1834 and is owned by
Walt and Roberta Purcell.
The Battersea Villa:
Battersea is a substantial stuccoed brick
house located north of Upper Appomattox
Street in the city of Petersburg, near the
south bank of the Appomattox River. Even
though the 37+ acre property is bordered by
a 19th-century neighborhood and a light
industrial area, it still retains its
historic rural character. The house was
built in 1768 by Colonel John Banister, the
first Mayor of Petersburg and a signer of
the Articles of Confederation. Battersea was
designed and built as a symmetrical
five-part Anglo-Palladian house featuring a
two-story central block, one-story wings
that act as hyphens, and one-and-a-half
story end pavilions. One-story columned
porticos mark the entrances on the front,
back, and sides of the house. The plan of
the interior reflects the five-part massing
of the exterior, presenting a symmetrical
single-pile plan with rooms extending to
either side of the central block. The
designer of the house is unknown
Battersea is one of the earliest and finest
surviving examples of a five-part, Robert
Morris-style Palladian house form in the
United States, and is the earliest
surviving, fully developed example of this
house type in Virginia. Battersea represents
a refined and original synthesis of ideas
from Andrea Palladio and Robert Morris,
copying neither but reinterpreting ideas
from both to meet 18th-century American
needs. The five-part house form was a basic
manifestation of Palladianism in both
Britain and America, which enjoyed
popularity in the United States during the
18th and early-19th centuries. Today,
Battersea is a rare and unusually
sophisticated survival of this form. Some of
the finest early nineteenth century
Classically-inspired architectural detailing
resulted–distinctive in its period
expression and craftsmanship–within the
framework of the Palladian form. The later
work shows a rare understanding of the
derivation of the Palladian form and a clear
intention to work within the parameters of
this style. Battersea is therefore eligible
for national significance under Criterion C
in the area of architecture. The Battersea
Villa is located at 1289 Upper Appomattox
Lane and was built circa 1768.
UK native and resident Phil Lewis painted
and donated the delightful renditions of the
homes on tour. The eight paintings of the
homes will be on display at Ammo Brewing,
235 N. Market Street during the tour. Live
entertainment for the event includes
costumed re-enactors, flutist Iris Schwartz,
the Dale Traylor Band, and more. Tour
guidelines, including parking information
and what to bring, can be found at
Petersburg Homes Tour.
