John Marshall House facts for kids
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John Marshall House
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John Marshall House
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9th and Marshall Sts., Richmond, Virginia |
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| Built | 1790 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000916 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
The John Marshall House is a special historic house museum in Richmond, Virginia. It was the home of John Marshall, a very important person in early American history. He was a Founding Father and served as the Chief Justice of the United States. This means he was the head judge of the highest court in the country.
President John Adams chose John Marshall for this role in 1801. Marshall served as Chief Justice for the rest of his life, until 1835. During his time, he made many important decisions that shaped American law. These included famous cases like Marbury v. Madison (1803) and McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).
The house was built in 1790. It was home to Marshall, his wife Mary Willis Ambler Marshall (called Polly by her family), and their six children. John Marshall lived in this house until he passed away in 1835.
Contents
The Marshall Family Home
The John Marshall House is built in the Federal style using brick. On the first floor, it has a dining room, a parlor, and a larger parlor that could also be used for dining. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms.
When it was first built, the house had other buildings around it. These included a law office, a kitchen, a laundry, and stables. The house sat on a whole city block in a fancy part of Richmond called Court End. John Marshall's neighbors included other important people, like the lawyer John Wickham.
Building the House
John Marshall started buying the land for his home in October 1786. He finished paying for it in November 1786. While their new house was being built, the Marshall family lived in a smaller wooden house nearby.
The Marshalls moved into their new home around 1791. At that time, Richmond was growing fast, and many new homes were being built. The John Marshall House was one of the first homes in the area that became known as the Court End neighborhood.
Marshall kept good records of his money. His account books show who worked on his house. The last payment for the main house was made in November 1790. The total cost of the house was 1211 pounds, 1 shilling, and three pence. Even after the main house was done, work on fences and other small buildings continued into 1791.
Over time, the house grew bigger. By 1810, a new wing and three porches were added. These additions made the house even more comfortable for the Marshall family.
House Design and Style
The outside of the John Marshall House looks simple and classic. Inside, you can see beautiful hand-carved wood. This type of woodwork was very popular in houses from the 1700s.
Both the parlor and the library have special wooden panels covering one wall. They also have small cupboards next to the fireplace. Most of the main floor rooms have dadoes, which are decorative wooden panels on the lower part of the walls.
The dining room does not have these panels, but it has a "particularly beautiful" cornice (a decorative molding at the top of the walls) and fancy fireplace mantles. A writer named Mary Wingfield Scott described the rooms as "bright and well proportioned." She also thought the stairway was "particularly charming."
Saving the John Marshall House
After John Marshall passed away, his daughter Mary owned the house. She rented it out to several people over the years. By the time his granddaughters, Anne and Emily Harvie, owned the house, the property had become much smaller.
In 1907, the granddaughters sold the house to the City of Richmond. The city planned to tear down the house to build a new high school. However, women's organizations worked together to save the historic home. They were successful!
In 1911, the house was given to Preservation Virginia (which was then called the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities). This group has taken care of the house and operated it as a historic house museum ever since.
The John Marshall House was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1960. This means it is a place of great national importance. In 2005, the City of Richmond officially gave the house to Preservation Virginia. This was to celebrate John Marshall's 250th birthday and to thank the group for taking care of the house for over 80 years.
Since then, the house has had a lot of restoration work done. This includes a new roof, fresh paint in its original colors, and other important updates. The John Marshall House is open for tours during certain times of the year. You can also visit by appointment or for special events.
See also
