Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/21/1987
NRHP Reference Number 87001857
This weighty, urban mansion, built in 1876-79 with boldly carved brownstone details, is among the city of Richmond’s most extravagant expressions of the High Victorian Italianate style. The Franklin Street landmark was designed by a yet-unidentified architect for James B. Pace, a tobacconist and banker whose fortune was one of the largest in the South. The pair of three-part bays is the dominant element of the design. The richly carved staircase is a testament to the skill of Richmond woodworker B.B. Van Buren. In 1908, a local contractor, Wirt S. Chesterman, from whom the building takes its present name, purchased the property and converted it into a luxury apartment house, adding a large wing onto the rear designed by Aubrey Chesterman.
[VLR Listed Only; Federal Determination of Eligibility: 10/27/1987]
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 22, 2021
