Rivermont facts for kids
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Rivermont
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Rivermont, Lynchburg VA, November 2008
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | 205 F St., Lynchburg, Virginia |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1852 |
| Architect | Bailey & Lanahan |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000496 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 11, 2000 |
Rivermont is a historic house in Lynchburg, Virginia. It was finished in 1852. The house is a two-story building designed in the Greek Revival style. It is located within the Daniel's Hill Historic District. Judge William Daniel Jr. and his second wife, Elizabeth Hannah Cabell, had it built. In 1997, the Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority took over the property. They then gave it to The Rivermont House, Inc. Rivermont was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
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Rivermont: A Historic Lynchburg Home
Rivermont is one of Lynchburg's most important large homes from before the American Civil War. It was completed in 1852. That year, the U.S. Census said Lynchburg was the second-wealthiest city in the country. This beautiful Greek Revival house is on F Street, near Cabell Street. Cabell Street was the main road of Daniel's Hill.
Rivermont's Unique Design
Rivermont shares many features with other Greek Revival houses in Lynchburg from the 1840s and 1850s. It has a front with three sections and is built on a high basement. It also has a sloped roof and a one-story porch in the middle of the front.
However, Rivermont is special because it is made of wood, not brick. Most other houses of this style in Lynchburg were brick. Its huge windows on the front are also unique. Each window has a large central part with smaller windows on the sides. These large windows were designed to offer amazing views of the James River.
Inside Rivermont House
The inside of Rivermont has a central hallway that runs through the house. There are large rooms on both sides. The main floor has very high ceilings, over 12 feet tall. The second floor ceilings are 9 feet tall, and the ground level has 8-foot ceilings.
The main hallway has a wide staircase with fancy wooden posts and a thick mahogany handrail. Walls and ceilings are smooth plaster. Some rooms on the ground floor have brick walls. Doors and windows have decorative frames. Many original fireplaces are still there. They have simple Greek Revival designs.
Building Rivermont's Structure
Lynchburg contractors Bailey and Lanahan built Rivermont. They had also built other important buildings in the city. These included the second St. Paul's Episcopal Church. They also built the second Presbyterian Church.
We are lucky to have Bailey and Lanahan's handwritten building plans. These plans describe every detail of Rivermont's inside and outside. They also show that a smokehouse and kitchen building were planned. The designs were inspired by William Ranlett's book, The American Architect. This book showed original designs for cottages and villas. The plans even show that Rivermont used to have two decorative railings on the roof.
The plans were signed by William Daniel, the owner, in 1848. They included a bedroom on the first floor with a private bathing room and dressing room. This was very unusual and convenient for that time. The main and second floor had special "secret laid" kiln floors. All rooms were planned to have Venetian blinds.
On the ground level, there was a dining room and living area. The floors in the hall and dining room were made of stone. Other ground level rooms had brick floors. Besides the front porch, there was also a back porch with turned columns. A smokehouse and kitchen building were also part of the property.
Balloon Frame Construction
Rivermont was built using a method called balloon frame construction. This building method was not common in this area until much later. This early use of balloon frame construction is one main reason Rivermont is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Balloon frame construction was first used in Chicago in 1833. Augustine Taylor built Saint Mary's Church using this method. He used light wooden pieces, like 2x4s and 2x6s, instead of heavy beams. These wooden pieces run from the foundation all the way to the roof. Floor joists are nailed to these upright pieces. This method uses many nails to hold everything together.
This type of building is also called "basket weave construction." It proved to be very strong, light, and flexible. The stress is spread throughout the whole building. There are stories of these houses surviving tornadoes. They could even be moved easily on a flatbed truck.
The Daniel Family at Rivermont
Judge William Daniel Jr. built Rivermont for his second wife, Elizabeth Cabell. They married in 1850. Before this, William was married to Sarah Warwick. They had two children, John Warwick Daniel and a daughter. John later became a well-known U.S. Senator.
William Daniel inherited another property called Point of Honor in 1839. But he did not have enough money to keep it running as a large farm. His first wife, Sarah, and their children often stayed in town. They felt Point of Honor was too far out in the country. Sarah died in 1845. William then offered the land of Point of Honor for sale. This is when Daniel's Hill was created, and Cabell Street became the main road.
William Daniel's Public Life
William Daniel was very active in politics. He served as a judge in Lynchburg in the 1820s. He was elected to the House of Delegates in 1831. In 1846, he was elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia. He served there until the Civil War. Daniel also helped start the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad in Lynchburg.
William likely met Elizabeth Cabell while working in Richmond. Elizabeth was the sister of his law partner. He hoped for a happy life with her and a mother for his children. He chose the highest spot on Daniel's Hill to build Rivermont. Elizabeth is said to have named the house.
Early Days at Rivermont
William's sister, Elvira Daniel Ellet, visited Rivermont often. She wrote letters describing the house and family life. In March 1852, Elvira arrived at Rivermont. It was her first time seeing the new house. She wrote, "The view from this house is the most extensive and beautiful one that I remember anywhere." She felt the location was much better than Point of Honor. She believed that once the newly planted trees grew, it would be a truly delightful home.
Elvira also noted how much light the house had from its many large windows. She said the house was very pretty and convenient. However, she felt it was built more for warm weather. Still, with large wood fires, it was comfortable.
In 1867, after the Civil War, William Daniel lost everything. He had to declare bankruptcy. He died in 1873. Historians say his legal skills and fair judgments were highly respected in Virginia.
The Hutter Family Era
A much happier time for Rivermont began in 1874. The house was sold to Edward Sixtus Hutter and his wife, Nannie Francis Langhorne Hutter. Edward and Nannie had 13 children, though 5 died young. A large, happy family grew up at Rivermont during the late 1800s.
Edward Hutter was educated at VMI (Virginia Military Institute). He served in the Civil War. After the war, he became a civil engineer. He used the name "Rivermont" to help develop the area. He sold parts of his Rivermont land to create "Danielstown," a neighborhood for working-class families. This was a sign of Lynchburg's growth after the war.
Hutter also helped create the "Rivermont Company." This was Lynchburg's biggest real estate project in the 1880s and 1890s. This time was known as the "New South" era. Edward Hutter helped design the Rivermont Bridge. This bridge crossed Blackwater Creek and was very high. It gave access to the new suburb and Rivermont Avenue. Hutter designed Rivermont Avenue with wide, curving roads that followed the land. He named the new development, the bridge, and the avenue after his home, Rivermont.
A Wedding at Rivermont
Edward Hutter hosted many elegant parties at Rivermont. We know about his daughter Lucy's wedding on April 2, 1902. She married T. Rush Ragland at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Many people attended, showing how popular the bride was.
After the church ceremony, the wedding party went to the Hutter family home on Daniel's Hill. An elaborate breakfast was served there. The young couple greeted guests in the large hall. Later, everyone moved to the spacious drawing rooms where the tables were set. The bridal party sat at a large round table. It was beautifully decorated with Easter lilies and greenery. Many candles lit the scene. After a delicious meal, the bride's cake was cut.
Edward Sixtus Hutter died in 1904. His obituary described him as a man with a wonderful personality. He was known for his business smarts and kindness. His wife, Nannie Langhorne, died in 1907. Her obituary also praised her as a bright and charming woman. She was known for her quick wit and beautiful singing. She also wrote articles and poems.
Rivermont's Recent History
After the Hutter family, Rivermont was sold many times. It eventually became a run-down apartment building. Walls were added to divide each floor into several apartments.
In 1996, the Lynchburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority took over the house. They asked the Lynchburg Historical Foundation for help. They wanted to create a non-profit group to save and restore the house. Paul Barringer, a commissioner for the Housing Authority, believed the house should be saved.
Rivermont House, Inc. became a non-profit organization in September 1997. In 2010, Rivermont House, Inc. sold the house to a private owner. The house is now being restored as a private home.
