Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 11/16/1971
NRHP Listing Date 02/23/1972
NRHP Reference Number 72001521
A familiar Main Street landmark, this dignified brick house was built ca. 1815 by Curtis Carter, a local brickmason and contractor, as his own home. The five-bay structure has more of the appearance of a prosperous farmhouse than an urban dwelling, making it exceptional among downtown Richmond’s early dwellings. From 1828 to 1832 it served as the home of French-born engineer Col. Claudius Crozet. Appointed engineer of the state of Virginia in 1823, Crozet mapped watercourses and planned highways, railroads, canals, and tunnels. He is perhaps best remembered as the engineer of the first tunnel through the Blue Ridge Mountains and as one of the founders of the Virginia Military Institute. The house was restored by architect Edward F. Sinnott in 1940 when it received its colonial-style brick doorway. Most of the original, somewhat plain, interior woodwork survives.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: September 27, 2021
