Dabney-Thompson House
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 at 1602 Gordon Avenue in Charlottesville, this two-story Queen Anne house was the home of Richard Heath Dabney, a history professor who later became Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia. The white weatherboarded house has an irregular square plan with projecting bays on every side, a steeply pitched slate hip roof, and tall gables covered in pressed tin. Spindle fan motifs, curved brackets with spool trim, and decorative glazing give the exterior its character. Inside, an open-well staircase with an Eastlake balustrade rises from the entrance hall, and four rooms have Colonial Revival mantels. Dabney sold the property in 1919, and it later served as a rooming house for about thirty years before becoming a mental health clinic in 1970. It was listed for its architecture, as an early Charlottesville example of the Queen Anne style that has changed very little over time.
Significance in brief: The survey describes it as one of the first examples of the Queen Anne style in Charlottesville, with notable decorative glazing and gable ornament. It was also the home of Richard Heath Dabney, a University of Virginia history professor and later Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. A federal reviewer called the significance statement marginal but sufficient, based on architecture.
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 84003498, listed January 10, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1602 Gordon Ave., Charlottesville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Charlottesville |
| Listed | January 10, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003498 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Richard Heath Dabney (original owner and builder) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne (listed as Victorian) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as very good; used as a mental health clinic, with a trailer added for office space in 1975. Altered very little apart from two enclosed back porches. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Rugby Road-University Corner Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.03997, -78.49924 (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 84003498.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15212454
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.