Gari Melchers Home and Studio facts for kids
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Belmont
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Northern Virginia
Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 224 Washington Street, Falmouth, Virginia |
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| Area | 27 acres (11 ha) |
| Built | 18th century |
| Architect | John Dixon |
| Part of | Falmouth Historic District (ID70000825) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000848 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | December 21, 1965 |
| Designated CP | February 26, 1970 |
The Gari Melchers Home and Studio, also called Belmont, is a special place in Falmouth, Virginia. It is a National Historic Landmark and a historic house museum. This means it is a very important historical site.
The house is located at 224 Washington Street. It was built in the 1700s and changed over time. From 1916 until he passed away in 1932, it was the home and art studio of a famous American artist named Gari Melchers.
After Gari Melchers died, his wife gave the property to the state of Virginia. Today, the University of Mary Washington helps manage it. Belmont became a National Historic Landmark in 1965. This honored Gari Melchers for helping American art become well-known in Europe.
Contents
What is Belmont?
The Gari Melchers Home and Studio is just west of Falmouth's town center. It sits on the south side of Business United States Route 17. The property covers about 27 acres (11 ha) of land. County Road 1001 goes through the property and leads to the main house.
The house is a two-story building made of wood. The main part of the house is wide with five sections. It has a two-story section extending to the left. There is also a sunroom with many sides on the right.
History of the House
The oldest part of the house was built in the mid-to-late 1700s. It got most of its current shape when the Ficklen family owned it. They owned the house from 1825 until 1916.
In 1916, Gari Melchers and his wife, Corinne Melchers, bought the house. They were both artists. They paid $12,000 for it. This would be like paying $209 thousand today.
The stone art studio building on the property was built during the Melchers' time. A stone garage was also added then. Mrs. Melchers added the summer house after her husband died in 1932.
When Mrs. Melchers passed away in 1955, she left the property to the state of Virginia. The house still contains most of the things the couple owned.
Who was Gari Melchers?
Gari Melchers was a well-known painter. He learned to paint in Europe. In 1882, one of his paintings was accepted by the Salon in Paris. The Salon was the most important art show at that time.
Gari and Corinne Melchers made Belmont their home in 1916. Some of his most famous artworks are the murals called War and Peace. These murals are in the rotunda of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Melchers' art helped more people in the United States become interested in fine arts.
What to See at Belmont Today
Belmont is different from many other historic homes in Virginia. It is not filled with old furniture from when the house was first built. Instead, it shows what life was like for a famous artist.
The house is full of unique European antiques and objects. Gari and Corinne Melchers collected these items. It is also an art museum. There are about 1,600 pieces of art there. About 500 of these are paintings by Gari Melchers himself.
You can also see his sketches and studies. There are works by other artists he collected. Plus, you can see paintings by his wife, Corinne.
More to Explore
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Stafford County, Virginia
- List of single-artist museums
