Virginia State Seal Virginia Department of Historic Resources

321-0010 Chinn House

Chinn House
Photo credit: Mae Tilley/DHR, 2021

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For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF

VLR Listing Date 09/23/2021

NRHP Listing Date 11/08/2021

NRHP Reference Number SG100007134

The Chinn House, in Richmond County’s Town of Warsaw, was home to lawyer and judge Joseph William Chinn and his family. Completed in 1908, the large two-story dwelling is an excellent example of the popular hipped-roof variation of the Colonial Revival style, marked by handsome entry porches and bay windows. Situated within walking distance of the Richmond County Courthouse, the property was expanded by Chinn to encompass over 140 acres of land. Designed with spacious rooms on both floors, nearly every room is equipped with Colonial Revival-inspired mantels and detailed decorative elements. Chinn, born in 1866 in Tappahannock, served as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Richmond County, a circuit judge, and eventually was appointed to the Supreme Court of Appeals (now the Supreme Court of Virginia). Chinn died in 1936, and in 1969 the family donated the house, to the Virginia Community College System. Rappahannock Community College now uses the residence for administrative offices.


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: November 17, 2021