Timberlake-Branham House
Why it's listed
Built in 1886 at 1512 East Market Street in Charlottesville, this two-storey, three-bay, single-pile house is a somewhat elongated Virginia I-house clad in white weatherboard on a low brick foundation. James E. Timberlake, a foreman at the Charlottesville Woolen Mills, bought the land that year and built the house, and the family kept it for about fifty years. A semi-octagonal addition stands at the east end, and a Z-shaped series of one-storey additions sits at the southwest rear corner. Victorian touches include a central front gable, small cornice brackets and an entrance porch with chamfered square pillars and simple brackets. The front door has sidelights and a transom. The property is regarded as a good, relatively unaltered example of the vernacular I-house type and as one of several homes built by Woolen Mills employees in this part of the city. It still overlooks Woolen Mills Road from a broad lawn and farmland.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a fine example of a vernacular Virginia I-house with Victorian details, and as notable for remaining relatively unaltered. Its front porch with chamfered square pillars and simple brackets and its sidelight treatment around the front door are singled out. It is also one of several houses in the area built by Woolen Mills employees.
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 84003525, listed January 10, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1512 E. Market St., Charlottesville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Charlottesville |
| Listed | January 10, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84003525 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | James E. Timberlake (original owner, built the house) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Virginia I-house with Victorian details |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good in the survey; used as a residence and still surrounded by about 7.74 acres of farmland. |
| Acreage | 7.7 |
| Coordinates | 38.02386, -78.46243 (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 84003525.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16901676
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.