{"nrhp_refnum":"76002227","name":"Friend, Nathaniel, House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"27--29 Bollingbrook St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Petersburg (Independent City)","county":"Petersburg","state":"VA","lat":37.23284048600004,"lon":-77.40362531499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-08-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-and-one-half-story brick Federal style commercial and residential building at 27-29 Bollingbrook Street in Petersburg, Virginia, built in 1815-1816 for merchant Nathaniel Friend, Jr.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an outstanding example of urban Federal architecture, built after the great fire of 1815 by a wealthy import-export merchant who served as mayor of Petersburg in 1812-13. Its upper floors keep fine original woodwork, and it relates closely to the neighboring Farmers Bank and other listed properties.","narrative":"Standing at 27-29 Bollingbrook Street in Petersburg, this three-and-one-half-story Federal style building was erected in 1815-1816 for Nathaniel Friend, Jr., a wealthy import-export merchant who had served as mayor in 1812-13. He built it after the great fire of 1815 destroyed many of the city's frame buildings. Laid in Flemish bond brick, the front block has splayed stone arches with keystones over its windows, a large lunette in the west gable, and a pair of dormers. Shops occupy the first floor, while the upper floors held apartments and still retain much original woodwork, including reeded door and window trim and finely detailed mantels. Rear sections along Cockade Alley, likely including the original kitchen and smokehouse, have been heavily altered. The building sits beside the 1817 Farmers Bank, which is of comparable quality, and was described as a rare surviving townhouse type. At the time of listing it was unoccupied and slated for careful restoration.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899 (specific dates 1815-1816)","architect_builder":"Nathaniel Friend, Jr. (builder/owner); no architect named","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Unoccupied and about to undergo restoration to commercial/residential use; condition rated fair, with the rear stair chamber walls in poor structural condition.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.276341-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/34/6825/41682534/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/76002227.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76002227/8dfc1dc461-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76002227/8dfc1dc461-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nathaniel_Friend_Jr._House,_27-29_Bollingbrook_Street_(Petersburg_city,_Virginia).jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nathaniel_Friend_Jr._House,_27-29_Bollingbrook_Street_(Petersburg_city,_Virginia).jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"80004314","name":"Petersburg Old Town Historic District (Additional Documentation)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/petersburg-old-town-historic-district-additional-documentation-80004314/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682534","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Friend_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16864795"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/petersburg/friend-nathaniel-house-76002227/"}