Peyton-Ellington Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1893 at 711 West Main Street, this two-storey, three-bay brick building was put up by A. N. Peyton on a corner of land bought from Sarah F. Culin. J. P. Ellington rented it for a dry goods store and bought it in 1901. A rear wing was probably added around 1896. The upper facade is covered in metal, with decorated pilasters, paired engaged Corinthian-style columns on tall pedestals, brackets and a modillioned cornice. The interior retains a patterned tin ceiling. Later uses included a bookstore in the 1930s, with the owner living upstairs, and an appliance business in the 1950s and early 1960s. At the time of the survey it served as a storefront church. The facade matches part of the larger Anderson Brothers Building, and the two are the only metal-clad facades left in Charlottesville. The building is also part of the last remaining commercial block on West Main Street, which is the basis for its listing.
Significance in brief: The building is one of only two surviving buildings in Charlottesville with a metal-clad facade. It is also part of the last remaining commercial block on West Main Street. A reviewer noted it as a good example, with some storefront elements intact along with the upper story.
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 82001811, listed October 21, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 711 W. Main St., Charlottesville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Charlottesville |
| Listed | October 21, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001811 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair; in use as a storefront church at the time of the 1979 survey, with the display windows boarded up. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | West Main Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.03167, -78.49030 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82001811.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15266100
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.