Historic Rivermont Real Estate Auction I Lynchburg, VA I Dec 9th

Step into a world where timeless elegance meets endless possibility. Nestled on a sprawling 1-acre lot in Lynchburg’s coveted Rivermont Historic District, 1924 Rivermont Avenue is a breathtaking 125-year-old Queen Anne Victorian home rich in architectural beauty and history. Behind its grand facade, discover 9 bedrooms, 5 baths, 9 fireplaces, soaring ceilings, exquisite original millwork and gleaming hardwood floors. Every room tells a story, inviting a new chapter of gracious living, unforgettable gatherings or income-producing potential. A charming 1,100 sq. ft. carriage house with 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths offers an enchanting retreat for guests, multigenerational living or potential rental income. A rare opportunity to own a piece of Lynchburg, Virginia history. Offered at Live and Online Real Estate Auction Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM. Pre-Auction Offers Encouraged.

Historic synopsis for 1924 Rivermont Avenue:
The Richard D. Apperson House | Circa 1901

Standing along one of Lynchburg’s most storied residential avenues, 1924 Rivermont Avenue has witnessed more than a century of the city’s growth and change. Known historically as the Richard D. Apperson House, the residence was constructed in 1901 during an important period in the development of Rivermont, when the neighborhood was emerging as one of Lynchburg’s premier residential communities.

The home was originally built for Richard D. Apperson, a prominent Lynchburg businessman whose career was closely connected to the city’s growth at the turn of the twentieth century. Apperson was associated with Lynchburg’s street railway and electric power industry during an era when electric streetcars were helping transform the way Lynchburg residents lived, worked, and traveled. That connection is particularly fitting on
Rivermont Avenue, where streetcar transportation played an important role in the development of the surrounding neighborhood.

Adding considerably to the home’s significance is its architect, Edward G. Frye, one of the architects who helped shape the architectural identity of turn-of-the-century Lynchburg. Frye designed residences, churches, commercial buildings, schools, and civic landmarks throughout the region before joining architect Aubrey Chesterman in the prominent firm of Frye & Chesterman. Their body of work would eventually include major institutional and civic commissions such as VMI, Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia State Capitol, the Academy of Music, Jones Memorial Library and University of Lynchburg. The Apperson House therefore represents an important example of Frye’s residential work at a pivotal period in his career.

Frye designed the Apperson residence in the Queen Anne style, an architectural form known for asymmetry, varied materials, projecting bays and gables, towers, and picturesque rooflines. The house rises two-and-one-half stories and is especially distinctive for its combination of stone and frame construction, projecting gabled sections, and prominent southeast corner tower capped by a truncated conical roof. Its eastern porte-cochère further contributes to the substantial character of the residence. The use of stone is particularly noteworthy within Rivermont, where stone construction was comparatively uncommon among residences of the period.

The property entered another important chapter in 1922, when historic records document that extensive alterations were undertaken for J. W. Ould, a prominent Lynchburg businessman and president of the J. W. Ould Company. The company was a significant wholesale dry-goods and notions concern headquartered in downtown Lynchburg, serving merchants throughout the region. The headquarters still stands today as the City’s Human Services building on 9th and Commerce. Ould’s association with the property connects the residence to another important chapter of Lynchburg’s early twentieth-century commercial prosperity.

As Lynchburg changed, so did the Apperson House. Around 1950, the residence was converted into apartments, reflecting a broader shift experienced by many of America’s grand urban homes during the middle decades of the twentieth century. Yet despite changes in use and alterations over the years, the historic character of 1924 Rivermont Avenue endured.

That character was formally recognized when the surrounding Rivermont Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Apperson House, along with associated historic resources on the property, was identified as contributing to the architectural and historical significance of the district. Rivermont itself represents an important chapter in Lynchburg’s development—a planned residential community shaped
by the city’s growth, its streetcar system, prominent architects, and generations of families who called the avenue home.

Today, 1924 Rivermont Avenue stands as more than an impressive historic residence. Its story brings together several threads of Lynchburg history: the development of Rivermont, the expansion of electric transportation, the city’s thriving commercial economy, and the work of architect Edward G. Frye. From Richard D. Apperson’s original 1901 residence to J.W. Ould’s extensive 1922 alterations and the generations that followed, each chapter has left its mark on the property.

Now, 125 years after its construction, the Richard D. Apperson House is preparing for
another transition.