The John Marshall House

The John Marshall House (1938)

The John Marshall House (2014)

Site name: John Marshall House 

Date of Construction: 1790

Reason for Construction: John Marshall built the house for himself and his family in 1790; he lived there until his death in 1835. 

Site History: The John Marshall House is located in Richmond’s historic court end and was built in 1790 by John Marshall, known as the Chief Justice of the United States. He lived there for forty-five years until his death in 1835. The property remained in the Marshall family until 1911, when it was sold to the City of Richmond. Learning of the City’s plans for the house, members of Preservation Virginia and other civic leaders petitioned the city to preserve the house. The city entered into a lease agreement with Preservation Virginia to preserve, restore, and open the house to the public in 1913. During that time, two major restorations of the house have taken place and an impressive collection of furnishings and decorative arts have been acquired to add to the interpretation of John Marshall’s Richmond home. In April 2006, the city transferred ownership to Preservation Virginia.

Area History: Located in the heart of Richmond's bustling downtown, the Marshall House is walking distance from the Virginia State Capitol, the Library of Virginia, and the Valentine Richmond History Center. While Richmond served as the capital of the Confederacy, court end remained a neighborhood of wealth but also served as the host community for many of the Confederacy’s major players, most especially President Jefferson Davis and the Confederacy’s first family. By the 1890s, two distinct efforts were under way within the court end district. First, the several small medical colleges that began there, consolidated to create the Medical College of Virginia – now the VCU Medical School. Secondly, efforts began to preserve a number of the neighborhoods more famous addresses, mainly by creating independent house museums. Three organizations formed the anchors for this effort, and are still in operation, today. The Confederate Memorial Literary Society formed in 1890 to save the White House of the Confederacy from demolition. In 1896, the CMLS opened what is now the Museum of the Confederacy. In 1892, the Valentine family began its non-profit corporation to create a museum for local history. Its museum, now the Valentine Richmond History Center, opened its doors in 1898. The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (now Preservation Virginia) gained its foothold in Richmond by saving the John Marshall House, in 1911. Later efforts by a fourth preservation player, the Historic Richmond Foundation, helped preserve Monumental Church, 1965.

What about the site has changed?

Listed on the National and Virginia Historic Registers, the John Marshall House has undergone remarkably few changes since Marshall's lifetime. The property remained in the Marshall family until 1911 when it was sold to the City of Richmond. Originally slated for destruction in order to make way for the John Marshall High School, the house was saved by local preservationists. Preservation Virginia has operated the John Marshall House as a museum since 1913 and is celebrating a century of preservation.

What about the surrounding area has changed?

The surrounding area has become a lot more urbanized in the last few decades. The John Marshall High School was relocated and is no longer next to the house. However, there are statues and markers next to the house that commemorate the high school that was once there. Overall, the house has undergone some renovations, but the location itself hasn’t changed much. The John Marshall Court House is now located next to the house, which was not always there in the past.

Reflection: One of the aspects of the John Marshall House that really made me think about the impact of how urbanization and industrialization can have an effect on historical sites. The John Marshall House was almost torn down in 1911 to make room for the high school, but was fortunately saved by Preservation Virginia. Not only was the John Marshall House at risk, but there are other locations in the commonwealth that are at risk as well. There is a lot of controversy with the possibility of the new baseball stadium being built near the slave trails, that would take away from the historical significance of the site. I think that the same could be said about the John Marshall House. Now, when I pass by this house, I think about how the house has been here for centuries. Looking at the images over time, it makes me appreciate the site even more than I did before. Before this project, I didn’t really have an appreciation for the house as much as I should have, but now, I think about other historical places around Richmond as well.

 

Sources:

"The John Marshall House." The John Marshall Foundation. Last modified 2014. Accessed February 23, 2014. http://www.johnmarshallfoundation.org/john-marshall/historic-landmarks/the-john-marshall-house/.

 

“The John Marshall House.” Preservation Virginia. Last modified 2014. Accessed February 20,       2014. http://preservationvirginia.org/index.php/visit/historic-properties/the-john-marshall-house.

 

"Court End." Wikipedia. Last modified September 27, 2013. Accessed March 29,
     2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_End

Author: Savannah Aigner