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 |
Gari Melchers Home and Studio, also known as Belmont, is a special place in Falmouth, Virginia. It is a National Historic Landmark and a historic house museum. This old house was the home and art studio of a famous American artist named Gari Melchers (1860–1932). He lived here from 1916 until he passed away. After his death, his wife gave the property to the state of Virginia. Today, the University of Mary Washington takes care of it. Belmont became a National Historic Landmark in 1965. This honored Melchers' important role in sharing American art with Europe.
Contents
What is Belmont?
Gari Melchers Home and Studio is located near the center of Falmouth. It sits on a large property that is about 27 acres (11 hectares). The main house is a two-story wooden building. It has five sections across the front. An extra two-story part extends to the left. A sunroom with many sides is on the right.
Belmont's History
The oldest part of the house was built in the mid-to-late 1700s. It got much of its current look when the Ficklen family owned it. They lived there from 1825 until 1916. In 1916, Gari Melchers and his wife Corinne bought the property. They were both artists.
Buildings on the Property
The stone art studio building on the grounds was built during the Melchers' time. A stone garage also dates from this period. The summer house was added by Mrs. Melchers after her husband died in 1932. When Mrs. Melchers passed away in 1955, she left the property to the state of Virginia. This included most of the couple's belongings inside the house.
Who Was Gari Melchers?
Gari Melchers was a well-known painter. He learned about art in Europe. In 1882, one of his paintings was accepted by the Paris Salon. This was the most important art show of that time. Gari and Corinne Melchers moved to Belmont in 1916.
Melchers' Famous Works
Some of his most famous works are the large paintings called War and Peace. You can see these paintings in the round room of the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Melchers' art helped more people in the United States become interested in fine arts.
Exploring the Museum
Unlike many old homes in Virginia, Belmont is not filled with furniture from its earliest days. Instead, it shows what life was like for a famous artist. It is full of unique European antiques and objects that Gari and Corinne Melchers collected.
Art Collection
Belmont is also an art museum. It has about 1,600 pieces of art. Around 500 of these are paintings by Gari Melchers himself. The collection also includes his sketches and studies. You can also see works by other artists he collected. Plus, there are paintings by his wife, Corinne.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Virginia
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Stafford County, Virginia
- List of single-artist museums
