Richmond Hill House
Why it's listed
Richmond Hill is a frame house of restrained Queen Anne style on a hilltop west of Asheville, across the French Broad River, built in 1889-1890. Its asymmetrical plan, hipped slate roof, tower, shingled gables, and porte cochere are combined with Neoclassical ornament and interior mantels. The house was designed by James G. Hill, a former supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury, for Richmond Pearson, a North Carolina congressman who later served as a diplomat to Persia and Greece. Pearson's family held the estate for decades, and his son Thomas opened the house as a museum in 1953. The house is regarded as one of the chief nineteenth century landmarks of Asheville and is notable for its largely original hardware, lighting, wiring, and fixtures, as well as its original plans. Its significance also rests on its association with Pearson's political and diplomatic career.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as one of the chief nineteenth century landmarks of Asheville and a large, impressive, little-altered frame house of restrained, classicizing Queen Anne style. It is tied to Richmond Pearson, a congressman and diplomat, and was designed by James G. Hill, a former supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury. The original plans survive.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 77000992, listed August 16, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 45 Richmond Hill Rd., Asheville |
|---|---|
| County | Buncombe County |
| Listed | August 16, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000992 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | James G. Hill (architect) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Western North Carolina Baptist Retirement Home after a 1974 sale; the nomination states that plans for the future of the house are uncertain. |
| Acreage | 7.5 |
| Coordinates | 35.61134, -82.58033 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 77000992.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7330878
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.