“Elmhurst”

“Elmhurst” is located in the city of Fredericksburg.  Fredericksburg is 50 miles south of Washington, D.C. and 50 miles north of Richmond.  It is the only High-Style Italianate residence in the city and exhibits the quintessential elements:  its tower or belvedere, low-pitch roof, wide cornices with elaborate brackets, 2-over-2 windows with arched crowns, one-story porch, and double-entry doors.  All of these components combine to give the impression of a lovely Italian wedding cake.

The Italianate style was prevalent in the Northeast but rare in the Southern states.  The builder of “Elmhurst”, Washington Elms, brought this house design south with him from his home in Saratoga, New York.  In 1871, on his 25-acre dairy farm, he built this house with its signature belvedere which topped three levels containing two rooms and a side passageway on each floor.

At the turn of the century, a new owner, C.W. Jones, prominent merchant and City Councilman, bought the property and enlarged the house with a three-story addition on the northern side as well as the rear.  This “celebration of light” of 49 windows and the addition of the full-width porch made this a showplace for the Jones family.

Upon Mr. Jones’ death in 1933, the farm was sold and subdivided into housing for the growing city of Fredericksburg.  The urban half-acre on which the house stands today was established at that time.

During the 20th century, the residence has had many uses — boarding house for nurses, private home, and apartment building.  When the present owners bought the property in 2006, it had deteriorated greatly.  A complete rehabilitation of the property was undertaken which maintained the original proportions of the residence while adding modernizations seamlessly.  This once grand Italianate home has been returned to its earlier elegance and its distinctive has been preserved for generations to come.  It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and listed as a Virginia Landmark in 2008.

Details

Property ID
591637

5
Bedrooms

5
Bathrooms

Square Footage
4671

Lot Size
0.43

Year Built
1871

Style
Italianate

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